The Good and Not So Good from Day 11 of 49ers Training Camp

Keep in mind, Brandon Aiyuk didn't watch practice, but Alex Smith and Harris Barton did. They watched from the sideline.

Jul 26, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Chris Conley (18) runs a pass route during Day 4 of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

SANTA CLARA -- Here's who stood out on Day 11 of 49ers training camp. Keep in mind, Brandon Aiyuk didn't watch practice, but Alex Smith and Harris Barton did. They watched from the sideline.

THE GOOD

1. QB Brock Purdy

Completed 9 of 14 pass attempts with four touchdowns including three in the red zone. His best throw was a deep touchdown pass to Ricky Pearsall who beat Deommodore Lenoir with a deep crossing route. More on Pearsall in a minute. In Lenoir's defense, his coverage was tight. Purdy's pass simply was perfect. It was his best pass of camp. He also threw his 10th interception of camp while targeting Chris Conley (more on him in a minute). Conley appeared to run a post route and was open deep, but Purdy underthrew the ball without setting his feet and got intercepted by Deommodore Lenoir. It's possible Purdy and Conley weren't on the same page, but it looked like Purdy simply didn't get enough on his throw.

2. LB Dee Winters

Recorded five "tackles" and one pass breakup during team drills, which is outstanding. He was the most active player on the field and he was playing weakside linebacker with the starters. He makes the 49ers defense so much faster. He's better than De'Vondre Campbell, who's always a step slow.

3. DT Jordan Elliott

Destroyed rookie guard Jarrett Kingston to stop Jordan Mason in the backfield for a three-yard loss. The 49ers' guards have had such a difficult time blocking Elliott this offseason.

4. WR Deebo Samuel

Caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Joshua Dobbs in the back-left corner of the end zone. Samuel reached up and caught the ball over cornerback Ambry Thomas, who never knows where the ball is. Still, a great catch by Samuel who's having a great camp.

5. WR Jauan Jennings

Caught two touchdown passes from Purdy in camp. First, he beat Charvarius Ward with a slant for a short touchdown catch. Then he beat Deommodore Lenoir with a fade route in the red zone for another touchdown catch. Jennings has taken his game to the next level and deserves to start opposite Samuel if Aiyuk gets traded.

6. WR Jacob Cowing

Finally returned to practice after missing at least a week with a pulled hamstring and caught a touchdown pass from Joshua Dobbs in the red zone while running a quick slant. Also caught a screen pass in the red zone.

7. TE Cam Latu

Caught a pass in the flat, turned up field and ran for 20 yards after the catch. If he can simply hold onto the ball, he'll be a YAC monster. Unfortunately for Latu, he holds the ball like it's a delicate flower.

THE NOT SO GOOD

1. RB Christian McCaffrey

Missed practice with a calf injury he apparently suffered two days ago. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that McCaffrey most likely will miss the rest of the offseason, which means all of training camp and preseason. Not the end of the world, but not the best news. Calf injuries can linger and become reaggravated, plus calves are connected to Achilles' tendons. So the 49ers have to be extremely cautious. If McCaffrey goes down, the 49ers go down.

2. RB Elijah Mitchell

Missed his second practice in a row with a hamstring strain. His injury doesn't seem to be serious, but the issue is that he can't stay healthy for more than a month at a time. What a shame.

3. WR Ricky Pearsall

Beat Deommodore Lenoir with a deep crossing route to catch a 45-yard touchdown pass from Purdy, then left practice with a shoulder injury. Which means Pearsall now has gotten injured twice this offseason. Not great. He needs to show he's not the Elijah Mitchell of wide receivers.

4. WR Chris Conley

Was targeted four times by Purdy and caught just one of those passes for a whopping five yards. Purdy also got intercepted once when targeting Conley, who's not a starting-caliber receiver at this point in his career. And yet, he seems to be the favorite to replace Aiyuk in the starting lineup if Aiyuk gets traded. Conley is OK, but not nearly as good as Jennings, who deserves to start.