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Five Winners from 49ers Preseason Win over Packers

With Preseason Week 1 in the books, here are five players who balled out in the 49ers 28-21 victory over the Packers

David Liechty

Five Winners from 49ers Preseason Win over Packers
Five Winners from 49ers Preseason Win over Packers /
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Kyle Shanahan always has been on record saying that practice reps are more valuable than preseason game reps. And while that may be true, that's not going to stop us from evaluating and reacting to the first 49ers performances in live action in seven months, with the 49ers taking a 28-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers in their preseason opener in Santa Clara. There were many players that showed out, but here are five players who proved the most, as they get ready to travel to Minnesota for joint practices with the Vikings this week.

1. Samuel Womack

Lots of draft pundits had whiplash when Womack was selected in the fifth round by the 49ers in April. PFF's voluminous draft guide didn't include a profile on him, and he wasn't an NFL Scouting Combine invite, despite leaving Toledo as their all-time leader in passes broken up (PBU) and tallying the second most PBUs in collegiate football in 2019 with 15. Like clockwork, Womack was back at his craft on Friday, impressively intercepting Jordan Love twice, and looking like a lockdown slot corner. The first, he was in sticky coverage on Romeo Doubs, who had previously burned Tarvarius Moore for a TD, and stole away what would've been a circus catch from him as they went to the ground. The second, Womack was in the receiver's hip from the line of scrimmage and ran his route for him as if he knew exactly where the ball was going, nearly taking it the house for a pick six. Of course it's "only preseason," but Womack has been getting rave reviews in camp, and his performance on Friday signals that he may very well be the replacement for K'Waun Williams in the slot, and another fifth round diamond in the rough for the 49ers scouting department

2. Danny Gray

Yes, you're going to see a familiar refrain with the "winners" -- most of them are rookies, which bodes very well for the 49ers scouting department and assistant VP of player personnel, Adam Peters, who is widely recognized as the "lead scout" and architect behind many of the 49ers selections this year. One of those selections was Gray, the wide receiver out of SMU who was nabbed with the last pick of Day 2 of the draft as a compensatory selection in the third round. If what Gray put on film on Friday continues, he's going to end up being a steal. Gray had only two receptions, but they went for a whopping 99 yards, capped off with a 76 yard touchdown catch from Trey Lance, with Gray beating his man by four yards, hauling in a dime and putting on the afterburners with ease to glide down the sideline for a TD celebration in the end zone. Most impressive to me about Gray was his ability to get open all night; he looked silky out of his releases, and wasted no effort or time in his movements. He looks like a natural, and sounded naturally confident in the post-game presser. A rookie receiver with real game speed who oozes confidence and backs it up on the field? That's a recipe for success, and could be the perfect missing piece that elevates this offense to heights it hasn't reached in years.

3. Spencer Burford

The 2022 rookie draft class continued to impress, with Burford further cementing his status as possibly the most impressive 49ers rookie in training camp, and one of the most impressive players overall, regardless of tenure. Burford, the fourth-round draft choice out of the little-heralded University of Texas-San Antonio, has been getting rave reviews all training camp for his toughness, versatility, but more importantly his ability to learn quickly, absorb feedback from coaches and consistently translate that feedback to performance on the field with efficacy. Burford had some reps where he wasn't perfect, but he continually shined Friday night in situations where he had no teammates to chip or assist, absolutely bullying the Packers interior line and showing why he's an odds-on favorite to start Week 1 against the Bears at right guard. Burford excelled on the inside and at tackle at UTSA, and it will be interesting to see how the recently dinged up Mike McGlinchey factors into the 49ers plans long-term. I would not be surprised to see Burford have the ability to transition to right tackle in 2023, or earlier, if he outperforms players such as Colton McKivitz if McGlinchey goes down with another injury.

4. Drake Jackson

There were rumblings in camp about the second-round edge player out of USC flashing as a pass rusher, but struggling against the run. I didn't see that liability on Friday, and I don't particularly care at this stage in Jackson's career. Especially based on what he showed as a terror off the edge against the Packers. He looked like a man among boys all night, but there was one play in particular that highlighted how ludicrous it was that he fell into the 49ers laps at the bottom of the second round. He was unblocked initially, as the Packers thought Jackson would crash in and be undisciplined as Love attempted to roll to his right in a two-tight end set with the in-line tight end breaking right and another tight end from the left crossing behind the line of scrimmage in motion. Jackson immediately recognized this, and didn't fall for it, releasing Josiah Deguara to linebacker help and shifting his attention to Love. What was impressive was Jackson's ability to shift his body's momentum on a dime, and transition that momentum toward Love without a hitch. Most players would've been on their butt, but Jackson stopped on a dime at a ridiculous angle, and smoothly changed direction to not only make Love uncomfortable, but to smartly play the ball, disrupting and deflecting the pass, almost resulting in Love's third interception of the night. Those are the type of plays put on tape that warrant a first-round selection. And remember: Drake Jackson just turned 21 in April. 

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5. Trey Lance

Throughout camp, Lance has had his ups and downs, with some gnashing of teeth regarding accuracy concerns and turnovers. What hasn't wavered during camp, however, is his confidence in himself and his willingness to take chances within structure to test the margins of what he's capable of in this offense. Lance showed on Friday that he's not afraid to sling it, but that he's not going to be necessarily making those same mistakes come gameday at the same clip. Historically more conservative than people think, Kyle Shanahan wants Lance to operate in structure, but not at the expense of compromising his unique arm talent and ability to eschew the safe play in favor of the spectacular one. On Friday, Lance had a couple minor hiccups with timing, but none were egregious. Only expected to play 10 snaps according to pre-game reporting, Lance came back on the field for a second series after the opening drive petered out on a slight misfire to Danny Gray, resulting in a Robbie Gould field goal. After getting sacked on first down due to soon-to-be cut Justin Skule doing his best turnstile impression, Lance dropped back on 3rd and 9 with a pass rusher in his face and coolly dropped a tear-drop dime to Danny Gray for a 76-yard touchdown pass. The ball placement and timing were perfect, and Lance sprinted down the sideline to make sure Gray retained his first NFL touchdown ball. After the game, multiple 49ers heaped praise on Lance not only for his play, but for his leadership, maturity and authentic respect he has for his fellow teammates. One thing seems certain: Lance doesn't let outside noise get to him, and he doesn't get flustered on the field. Friday was an excellent start on what could be a special season for him.

Stay tuned this week as I will be in Minnesota covering joint practices with the 49ers and Vikings giving full camp reports on Wednesday and Thursday!

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David Liechty
DAVID LIECHTY

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