49ers camp: Ji’Ayir Brown eager to hunt with NFL’s most aggressive defense
SANTA CLARA — Safety Ji’Ayir Brown ran in hot pursuit of the 49ers’ ball carrier Saturday when he came upon an unlikely lead blocker: Trey Lance.
Rather than blast Lance into oblivion — or into the sideline or further down the depth chart — Brown pulled up under the 49ers’ ordinance to not contact quarterbacks and thus allowed Lance to set a basketball-like pick.
“Ah, you’ve seen that?” Brown said with a laugh after practice. “You don’t want to touch any quarterback in practice. I definitely did have to use a lot of restraint on that.”
Come next Sunday, Brown can unleash his fury in his NFL debut, when the 49ers play their preseason opener at the Las Vegas Raiders, who also will host joint practices on Thursday and Friday.
“That’s just my game. I think that’s everybody’s on the team,” Brown said of his physicality. “This is the most aggressive defense in the league, so I have to live up to that standard with those guys. My style is just like theirs.”
Brown hasn’t made a lot of noise through nine practices in his first training camp because, well, tackling and full-scale hitting is not permitted. That runs counter to “what I’m all about,” he said, and it explains why the 49ers used their top draft pick on the Penn State product this year, albeit in the third round (No. 87 overall).
“That’s just my game. I think that’s everybody’s on the team,” Browns said of his physical nature. “This is the most aggressive defense in the league, so I have to live up to that standard with those guys. My style is just like theirs.
“These guys, they hunt,” Brown added. “Fred (Warner) leads the pack, and (Dre) Greenlaw. They’re hunting. If you ain’t out there hunting, you can’t be with them. I just want to join in on that hunt with those guys.”
The 49ers were the league’s No. 1-ranked defense last year, and they’re looking to continue that lead under new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks with a couple of new additions, including Brown and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (“He’s an incredibly efficient player,” center Jake Brendel said of his ex-Eagles nemesis).
Count cornerback Charvarius Ward among those eager to see Brown’s integration into a defense which returns starting safeties Tashaun Gipson Sr. and Talanoa Hufanga.
“He’s a grown man. He looks like he’s been in the league already for a couple of years,” Ward said of Brown (5-foot-11, 202 pounds). “I definitely think in the preseason, he’s going to be smacking people around.”
Like Gipson and Hufanga, Brown did not break the 4.6-second mark in the 40-yard dash ahead of the draft.
“When you’re smart and you think fast, a 40 time doesn’t really matter,” Brown added. “It’s about how fast you can process information and make a decision. Those guys are among the best at it. We all have similar traits when it comes to comparing 40 times and game-like speed. We all can think fast, react fast and make plays.”
PURDY RESTS ELBOW
Quarterback Brock Purdy did some individual conditioning then left the practice reps up to Sam Darnold, Trey Lance and Brandon Allen. It was a scheduled non-throwing day after Purdy practiced back-to-back days; he’s reported no pain in his surgically repaired elbow.
How has Purdy’s comeback looked to center Jake Brendel? “Honestly it feels like nothing’s changed, which is a great thing,” Brendel answered. “He ended his season with obviously an injury but still at the top of his game. He’s been nothing but getting better each week.
“Every single day, he might screw up one or two plays in practice, but the next practice, you see deliberately him fix that problem. That’s what you want from a second-year quarterback.”
LANCE, DARNOLD HIT-AND-MISS
Lance’s 13th and final throw salvaged the day, though Willie Snead IV played a bigger role on that 25-yard touchdown reception. Snead he made a phenomenal catch at the front left pylon while being shielded from the ball by cornerback Sam Womack III.
Lance, for the third straight practice, waited behind Darnold before entering full-team work and completing 8-of-13 passes. Three incompletions opened Lance’s string, including 25-yard attempts to Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel. Lance combined with Christian McCaffrey combined on a sweet throw-and-catch against linebacker Curtis Robinson, who later avenged that with a pass breakup of a target to Kyle Juszczyk.
Darnold (6-of-11) opened his final series by opting not to check the ball down to Juszczyk and instead going for the gusto: Brandon Aiyuk, who broke free past the defense. Darnold’s 45-yard attempt came up short and allowed safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. to rush over and break up the threat.
Brandon Allen also missed on a deep ball, to Danny Gray in triple coverage, but rallied to complete a 40-yard pass that Snead caught in traffic and took to the end zone.
MORE DAVIS-PRICE PRAISE
Running back Ty Davis-Price continues to draw rave reviews from players and coaches about his transition after a bleak rookie season. “Anytime you see him running at a safety, it’s like: ‘What’s going to happen there?’ It’s definitely and honestly inspiring to watch,” Brendel said. “Hopefully it keeps getting better.”
HEALTH CENTER
Left guard Aaron Banks (concussion) did individual conditioning after sitting out Friday’s session; Jon Feliciano replaced Banks on the first string but is viewed more as a backup center. … Defensive tackle Arik Armstead and safety Talanoa Hufanga appeared to have rest days. … Running back Elijah Mitchell worked on the side as he recovers from an adductor strain.