the 49ersThe defense has been absolutely strangling the offense thus far during the early stages of camp, and that trend continued again on Saturday.
I’ve picked five players on the defensive side of the ball who stood out and included a little bit about what they did during the team’s portion of practice that put them on the list.
1. Nick Bosa
Bosa is in as good shape as he has been since entering the NFL, and he seems like a man on a mission as he prepares for his second year without an ACL tear that prematurely ended his 2020 season.
Today I counted three sacks for Bosa during the team practice portion, with a couple of pressures and rear chases against the run as well. Bosa seems to be locked in early, and I sympathize with any offensive lineman tasked with staying in front of him.
Mike McGlinchey was quickly welcomed into the team period, with his first two reps of training camp going 11-on-11 against Bosa on the right side. Bosa got past McGlinchey on the first play to sack Trey Lance with a bare boot to the right side of a fake play.
Bosa then followed up with a three-step drop catch. The only time Bosa didn’t seem to be in total control in this practice was during his only replay against Trent Williams. I’m really looking forward to seeing the battle between those two superstars once the pads are put on.
2. Tarvarius Moore
Moore continues to recover nicely in his first training camp since suffering a torn Achilles tendon last June. Moore had two interceptions on the day and showed great range while playing lone top safety.
The 49ers seem intent on running a considerable amount of three sets of security and having Moore cover a lot of range at the back allows them to use Talanoa Hufanga in a stalker/thief role and/or kick Jimmie Ward in the back. slot. Seeing Moore play with the amount of burst he has shown thus far is an encouraging sign.
3.Fred Warner
Warner was one of the best players on the field today, displaying an uncanny ability to eliminate any short or intermediate routes in the middle of the field in the passing game.
Warner also recorded an interception against the first-team offense, jumping into the throwing lane as a hook defender to pick off a pass from Trey Lance between the numbers.
Warner is playing at an extremely high level and seems to know what’s coming off the offense before the offense itself. He’s an All-Pro, so it’s probably no surprise, but Warner appears to be picking up where he left off to close out the 2021 season.
4. Javon Kinlaw
Kinlaw looked as explosive as he had seen him since last season, and appears to be mostly recovered from a knee injury that cut his 2021 season short. He showed serious power in a pair of pressing reps for 11 in 11s, including a repetition in which he used the long arm to drive Daniel Brunskill back from the scratch technique.
Kinlaw was also noticeably emotional while on the sidelines and with his teammates, bringing an energy to the field that was apparently higher than he had seen in early practice. Kinlaw is set to be a major part of this 49ers defense in 2022, and all signs point to him being ready for Week 1.
5. Charvarius neighborhood
Ward recorded another interception during practice today, displaying tremendous closing speed on a play where it looked like Ray-Ray McCloud had outplayed him by a step. Ward has been unequivocally the best player through four days of camp, displaying a level of skill and consistency that probably has the 49ers salivating over the kind of potential he brings to this already-charged defense.