The San Francisco 49ers' injury list somehow got even longer on Wednesday, forcing another round of roster moves while creating opportunities for players lower on the depth chart. The team waived defensive linemen Kevin Givens and Cam Sample before signing veteran defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge. The addition of Hodge became necessary after another setback to an already depleted position group (more on that below).
According to Matt Maiocco, offensive lineman Carver Willis (concussion), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (finger), wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hip flexor), and offensive lineman Brett Toth (undisclosed) all missed practice. Nick Bosa, Osa Odighizuwa, and Dre Greenlaw were also sidelined with what the team labeled as general soreness.
The wide receiver room has been hit especially hard. Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, De'Zhaun Stribling, and now Cowing were all unavailable, prompting Hodge's signing. As John Chapman pointed out on X, the 49ers' top five receivers entering training camp were all absent from practice.
The overall injury picture is becoming difficult to ignore. Noah Furtado noted that 18 players on the active 90-man roster missed practice, with another five on injured reserve, bringing the total number of unavailable players to 23. Things only got worse during practice when defensive end Sam Okuayinonu limped off with an ankle injury and guard Nick Zakelj exited early with an elbow issue. It's becoming hard to keep track of everyone who's unavailable.
Here are some 49ers training camp quick hits:
Left guard battle takes another turn
One of the more interesting developments came along the offensive line. David Lombardi reported that veteran Robert Jones received first-team reps at left guard, a notable shift after Connor Colby had appeared to emerge as the frontrunner for the job. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster explained that the coaching staff wanted to continue moving Colby around, including giving him work at right guard, but the injuries to Willis and Toth limited those plans.
It doesn't necessarily mean Colby has lost ground, but it does reinforce that this competition remains wide open. The coaching staff clearly wants to evaluate multiple combinations before settling on a starting five, and the growing injury list has complicated that process.
Defensive line flashes
While the injuries dominated the headlines, a few defensive linemen made the most of their opportunities. Gracen Halton returned after missing time because of a knee bone bruise and immediately looked explosive during one-on-one drills. Nick Wagoner highlighted multiple impressive rushes from Halton, whose quickness stood out throughout practice.
Okoronkwo also wasted little time making an impression. After signing today, he participated in drills and generated a strong power rush against Enrique Cruz Jr.
Sebastian Valdez continued his solid camp with successful reps against Colby before carrying that momentum into team drills. CJ West also flashed his power, while rookie Romello Height once again displayed the burst and bend that have consistently shown up during pass-rush drills.
Cam Inman also noted that rookie Alfred Collins made his 11-on-11 debut. That's positive news.
Purdy stays hot despite revolving cast
Even with a constantly changing group of pass catchers, QB Brock Purdy put together one of his sharpest practices of camp. Wagoner charted Purdy at 13-of-14 passing, with the lone incompletion coming on a play that could have drawn a defensive penalty. His day featured several impressive throws, including escaping pressure before finding Christian McCaffrey over the middle for a big gain. During a three-play red-zone sequence, Purdy threw a perfectly placed touchdown to Patrick Taylor Jr., scored himself on a designed run, then rolled right and found Junior Bergen for another touchdown.
He finished practice by connecting with Jordan Watkins deep down the left sideline for another score during move-the-ball drills.
Watkins continues to capitalize on the extra opportunities created by the injuries to the receiving corps. While he's had a few drops throughout camp, he's also consistently made plays, and Purdy continues looking his way. With so many receivers unavailable, Watkins has a legitimate chance to carve out a role if he can become more consistent.
Another player seeing an expanded role is tight end Luke Farrell. Lombardi noted that Farrell caught three more passes from Purdy, including a tough catch on a sidearm throw into a tight window. Farrell wasn't much of a receiving factor last season, but he's been noticeably more involved throughout this camp.
Defense still making plays
The defense generated plenty of highlights despite missing several starters. Jack Jones opened practice with a one-handed interception during one-on-one drills before a tipped pass resulted in another interception by Jayden Dugger. Darrell Luter Jr. broke up a pass intended for Demarcus Robinson in the end zone, while Deommodore Lenoir added another pass breakup during team drills.
West and Fred Warner each recorded run stuffs early in practice, Halton blew up another running play with the third-team defense, Jalen Graham diagnosed a run quickly for another stop, and Ephesians Prysock stayed glued to Wesley Grimes to prevent a deep completion. That may be the first time I've heard Prysock mentioned.
The 49ers are still more than a month away from Week 1, so there's time for many of these players to return. But with the injury report growing almost daily, getting healthy has become just as important as evaluating the roster. Right now, the availability battle may be as significant as any position competition taking place on the practice field.
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