SANTA CLARA – Jalen Hurd does not get hit nearly as much after making the move from running back to wide receiver for his senior season after transferring to Baylor.
But Hurd is going out of his way to seek contact in his first NFL training camp after coming to the 49ers as a third-round draft pick.
The 49ers held their second day of non-padded practice on Sunday. Typically, tempers are more likely to flare when the pads go on. But there were two scuffles on the practice field Sunday, and Hurd was involved in both.
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said he likes to see his players get physical, aggressive and passionate. But he does not like to see punches exchanged because of the possibility of injuries.
Still, the last thing Shanahan wants is for Hurd to back off.
“I don’t want any of that to change. That’s why we brought him here,” Shanahan said. “But I got to see what happened. If he’s just physical and blocking people, and people are getting upset with that, shame on them.
“But if he’s doing more than he should to his teammates, then I have a problem with that. Luckily, everything’s on tape, so I’ll go watch it and decide and address it.”
San Francisco 49ers
Hurd caught a pass from C.J. Beathard during 11-on-11 drills in Sunday’s practice.
Defense wins the day
There was not much down the field for any of the team’s quarterbacks. Jimmy Garoppolo completed five of 12 passes, while Nick Mullens hit on six of nine, and Beathard completed four of eight.
Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a Garoppolo pass intended for Dante Pettis during a 7-on-7 drill. Afterward, Garoppolo had some words for Pettis about his expectations.
“That’s on me,” Pettis said. “If he throws that ball, he’s trusting me. Worst-case scenario, it’s a broken up pass. That’s something I have to get in my head. If he’s trusting me, then this ball is not going to go to the other team, no matter what. He just told that, ‘Look, I trust you, and you got to break it up for something.' ”
D.J. Reed makes move to corner
Earlier in the offseason, the 49ers switched second-year player Tarvarius Moore from cornerback to safety. He welcomed the move. Fellow second-year player D.J. Reed is making the opposite transition. And it's a move met with his approval, too.
Reed is back at cornerback, where he played at Kansas State, after spending his rookie season at free safety. Shanahan said Reed has a better chance to contribute at cornerback.
“We know he was more comfortable with it,” Shanahan said. “He’s got some versatility. He does some great things in nickel. He did well at safety for us last year.”
Reed’s versatility also gives him a better chance to earn one of the 46 roster spots for regular season games because he can provide depth at every position in the defensive backfield, while also playing special teams.
“When you can run and you’re not scared to hit, you can help at a lot of spots on special teams, also,” Shanahan said.
Joshua Garnett dislocates finger – again
Guard Joshua Garnett, a first-round draft pick in 2016 who missed ample time during his first three NFL seasons, left the practice field before the start of 11-on-11 drills after dislocating a finger on his right hand for the second day in a row.
Garnett went inside to be evaluated. His status for the coming days is not known. The 49ers will practice Monday in pads for the first time in training camp.
On Saturday, Garnett rotated in with the first-team offense while Weston Richburg continues to rehab from surgery on his left knee and quad. Mike Person and Mike Garland took turns at center, while Person and Garnett played right guard. When Richburg returns, Person is expected to start at right guard.
Offensive Play of the Day
Slot receiver Trent Taylor has gotten off to a good start at training camp, and his best play Sunday came when he beat nickel back K’Waun Williams off the line and caught a pass from Jimmy Garoppolo on a slant pattern. After getting past Williams and splitting the secondary, Taylor took in the biggest gain of the day.
Defensive Plays of the Day
Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman said he no longer feels pain in his surgically repaired left Achilles after struggling for much of last year. His ability to close was on display when he followed receiver Jordan Matthews across the field and made a diving break-up of a Jimmy Garoppolo across the middle.
This ‘n’ That
-- After getting beaten three times by rookie defensive end Nick Bosa on Saturday, six-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley said he felt more like his old self on Sunday. Staley said he felt rusty on Saturday with his hand usage.
-- Bosa and DeForest Buckner worked together during two-man, head-to-head pass-rush drill. Bosa and Buckner showed they still have to get to know each other, as they collided violently while going up left guard Laken Tomlinson and Staley.
-- Running back Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida looked explosive during the run drills. Coleman, however, coughed up the ball down the field when Fred Warner stripped him of the ball and Malcolm Smith recovered.
-- Edge rusher Ronald Blair was in tight coverage on the right side against rookie right end Tyree Mayfield, and Mullens’ pass hit Blair in the back as he ran with Mayfield.
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-- During 11-on-11 drills, Arik Armstead, Buckner, Damontre Moore, Kentavius Street broke through for would-be sacks.
-- Goodwin dropped a well-thrown 20-yard pass from Garoppolo with Sherman in coverage. Earlier in practice, Goodwin caught one of the deeper passes of the day on a 20-yard out pattern.
Next up
The 49ers return to practice Monday at 10 a.m. in Santa Clara. The 49ers are scheduled to practice in pads for the first time since last season.