The Good and Not So Good from Day 8 of 49ers Training Camp

Here’s who stood out during the eighth practice of 49ers training camp.

SANTA CLARA -- Here’s who stood out during the eighth practice of 49ers training camp. The players will take off Monday, then resume practices Tuesday and finish camp Friday. They’ve reached the final stretch.

THE GOOD

1. Free safety Jimmie Ward.

Read Jimmy Garoppolo’s eyes from centerfield and sprinted all the way to the sideline to break up a deep pass intended for Kendrick Bourne, who had beaten cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon deep. This was the best play I’ve ever seen Ward make in an NFL practice or game. He seems to have improved his instincts and reaction time at free safety after playing an entire season there in 2019 for the first time since entering the league. The 49ers don’t need and absolutely should not sign Earl Thomas, whom the Ravens just cut. He’s old and players don’t seem to like him. The Ravens certainly didn’t. So why should the 49ers take on that headache? They already have Ward, who’s better than Thomas anyway.

2. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley.

After breaking up a deep pass intended for Brandon Aiyuk on Saturday, Moseley denied two more deep passes to Aiyuk on Sunday. During the second deep pass, Aiyuk appeared to pull his hamstring. More on him later. Moseley has not given up any long catches during camp and clearly is one of the two best corners on the team. I understand the 49ers want Moseley to compete for a starting job, but he’s crushing the competition.

3. Linebacker Kwon Alexander.

Broke up a long pass Garoppolo intended to throw to Bourne, who was running a deep corner route. Alexander read Garoppolo’s eyes, backpedalled, jumped and tipped the ball away. One of the most athletic plays of training camp. Alexander is phenomenal in zone coverage.

4. Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.

Redeemed himself after a rough Saturday practice. On Sunday, he finally beat left tackle Laken Tomlinson during one-on-one pass-rush drills, beat him for the first time in camp. Kinlaw used a rip move to beat Tomlinson to the outside, and Tomlinson fell down trying to block the rookie. Later, Kinlaw twice beat rookie guard Colton McKivitz, who twice beat Kinlaw in the same drill on Saturday. Kinlaw isn’t a polished pass-rusher yet, but he certainly is improving.

5. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Good Jimmy finally returned after Bad Jimmy had taken over the past two practices. On Sunday, Garoppolo threw zero picks, made no bad decisions and completed 68 percent of his passes. He overthrew a deep pass to Jerick McKinnon but, to be fair, I’ve never seen Garoppolo throw deep to McKinnon before. They’ll need time to get on the same page.

6. Running back Jerick McKinnon.

Burned Pro Bowl middle linebacker Fred Warner with a wheel route up the sideline during team drills, but Garoppolo overthrew him. McKinnon dove for the ball -- just completely laid out, which I love to see. I hate when receivers watch a well-thrown pass land two feet in front of them. Yes, I’m looking at you, Emmanuel Sanders. You should have dove for Garoppolo’s deep pass in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. McKinnon would have.

7. Running back Tevin Coleman.

Had the longest run of the day -- a 30-yard run around the right side of the offensive line. Coleman seems like a lock to make the 53-man roster, start Week 1 against the Cardinals, run the ball on the 49ers’ first offensive play and gain three yards. Can’t wait.

8. Tight end Charlie Woerner.

Ross Dwelley missed his second consecutive practice with a foot injury, so Woerner became the No. 2 tight end for a day and played well. Garoppolo threw him four passes and Woerner caught three. And the incomplete pass was behind Woerner, so Garoppolo was at fault, not the rookie tight end. Woerner clearly is a better player than last year’s sixth-round pick, tight end Kaden Smith, who is a complete stiff.

9. Left tackle Trent Williams.

Buried Arik Armstead’s face in the dirt during team drills. The 49ers ran the ball toward Armstead, which he didn’t expect. He tried to duck under Williams and just got crushed. Ended up face down on the ground, but popped up real quick so no one would notice. I noticed, Arik.

THE NOT SO GOOD

1. Defensive end Dee Ford.

Left practice with what appeared to be a right calf injury. Suffered the injury during one-on-one pass-rush drills. Tried to beat right tackle Mike McGlinchey with a speed move around the edge and came up lame. The trainers checked him out and rubbed his right calf before escorting Ford off the field. No word yet on the severity of the injury, but it’s starting to seem like Ford never will be fully healthy for the 49ers. Shame.

2. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Left practice with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Aiyuk was running a deep route against cornerback Emmanuel Moseley when the injury occurred. Aiyuk jogged extremely slowly back to the huddle and never returned to action. He watched the rest of practice from the sideline. Aiyuk had been having a tremendous camp, but this is the kind of setback that can derail a wide receiver’s rookie season. Dante Pettis is the next man up on the 49ers depth chart, meaning they have issues at wide receiver. Are they desperate enough to sign Antonio Brown or Dez Bryant? We’ll see.

3. Guard Ross Reynolds.

Left practice with an undisclosed injury. Was down on the ground for three or four minutes. The 49ers stopped practice out of respect to Reynolds. A trainer rushed to him, then immediately sprinted as fast as he could across the field. That’s how you knew the injury was serious. The trainer got the cart and drove it over to Reynolds, and all the offensive linemen walked over and helped lift Reynolds into the cart, then patted him on the shoulder pads as he rode away with his head down. I was tremendously moved by the compassion the 49ers showed an injured player.

4. Defensive end Nick Bosa.

Missed his second day in a row after leaving Friday’s practice early. The 49ers say Bosa has no injury. Do you believe them? I’m not sure I do. To be fair, Bosa has watched the past two practices from the sideline and didn’t seem injured. Perhaps the 49ers simply want to protect him, which would be smart. They probably should have protected Ford today as well.

5. Wide receiver Dante Pettis.

Dropped a beautifully-thrown deep pass from C.J. Beathard. Pettis let the ball graze off his fingertips, and did not dive for the ball as McKinnon did. Pettis played exceptionally well on Tuesday, but has not played particularly well since then. Get it together, Dante. The 49ers need you now.

6. Center Daniel Brunskill.

Still struggling big time at center. Today, Kentavius Street pushed Brunskill around during one on ones. Brunskill cannot start Week 1 at center for the 49ers. The fact they haven’t signed a center probably means they expect Ben Garland, who has an ankle injury, to be healthy soon. He’d better be.

7. Quarterback Nick Mullens.

Threw only four passes all morning -- odd, considering Beathard threw 10. And Mullens completed three of his four passes. But the fourth pass was intercepted by linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. Mullens has thrown three picks in the past three practices. So un-Mullens of him.

8. Tight end Jordan Reed.

Warmed with the 49ers but didn’t actually practice with them. He stretched and jogged and threw some shadow punches. Didn’t run routes, catch passes or block. Didn’t even wear pads. I have no idea if he’s still a good football player, but he’s an elite stretcher.