SANTA CLARA – Instant impressions from the 49ers’ joint practice Thursday against the Denver Broncos, ahead of Saturday’s preseason opener at Levi’s Stadium:
WILLIAMS EXITS EARLY
Defensive end Mykel Williams sustained a hyperextended knee, upon the 49ers’ initial exam. The 49ers’ top draft pick this year got hurt in the 11th of 14 periods. Williams walked off on his own to the weight room.
“He had a good exam. Hopefully he just hyperextended his knee,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We’ll get a further examination but it looked good (initially).”
Williams, drafted No. 11 overall, was going to play in Saturday’s opener but Shanahan expects him to be out at least until next week. The 49ers will practice Thursday at the Las Vegas Raiders before their exhibition two days later.
Linebacker Fred Warner, who was among the first to attend to Williams, said: “I’m there for my teammate in that moment. I hate to see a teammate go down, no matter who it is.”
PURDY RALLIES
Brock Purdy twice got intercepted on targets to Ricky Pearsall in the opening 7-on-7 session, but when it came to full-team action and game-specific plays, Purdy finished strong.
“Brock had a real good day, never know for sure till (we watch the) tape,” Shanahan said. “We put him in a lot of challenging situations and he handled them well.”
That included finding Pearsall on a fade down the right sideline for a touchdown in red zone action, as well as a scoring strike in the two-minute drill to Demarcus Robinson, who earlier had a fade pass knocked away in the end zone by Patrick Surtain II.
McCAFFREY ACTION
Running back Christian McCaffrey, a Denver-area native, had a touchdown catch in red zone action and some key runs in the two-minute drill.
“I don’t know if it was more competitive or more intense. It’s good to see where you’re at against another team,” McCaffrey said. “To go against them and different looks, it’s always good to get different looks.”
McCaffrey missed all but the first week of last year’s camp with calf issues, and he missed the first two months of the season with Achilles tendinitis. “He’s had an awesome camp to get prepared and be ready for Week 1 and to last the whole season,” Shanahan said.
McCaffrey said he hopes he can be ready without taking a snap in a preseason game. He said he’s felt great every day and doesn’t take it for granted, having been through a lot of injuries. “Christian is as intense as anyone I’ve been around,” Shanahan said. “If he gets covered, I try to avoid him because he gets angry. That’s what makes him great.”
Thursday marked the first time it wasn’t Warner having to cover McCaffrey’s one-on-one routes. Said Warner: “I usually get all the one-on-one drills against Christian. Back and forth between me and him. Yeah, I think Christian is the best in the game, whether in the backfield or out of the slot. When the season comes, I’ll be able to say I’ve gone against the best.”
NO FIGHTS, BUT INTENSE
The Broncos’ defense came out in hyperspeed and dominated the initial snaps of 7-on-7 action. No fights ensued throughout the two-hour-plus practice but the most intense action came on special teams drills, with veteran defensive back Chase Lucas repeatedly confronting Broncos.
TWO-MINUTE DRILL
Up until Thursday, the 49ers’ two-minute drills have played out in private walk-throughs, away from the media. Shanahan said a reason he has kept them out of the usual practices is an increased injury risk.
“That was the first live one,” Shanahan said, noting that they finished quickly enough to see the first-team defense on the other field. “We moved the ball offensively on both (series), got a touchdown (from Purdy to Robinson) and a field goal (53 yards from Jake Moody).”
HEALTH CENTER
— Running back Jordan James will require surgery to repair a fractured finger and be out a couple of weeks, Shanahan said.
— Defensive end Nick Bosa resumed practicing after missing the past three sessions due to unspecified soreness.
— Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott will be out until at least next week with back issues.
— Defensive backs Marques Sigle and Darrell Luter were evaluated for possible concussions and both cleared, Shanahan said.
— Wide receivers Jauan Jennings (calf) and Jacob Cowing (hamstring) did not practice, nor did cornerback Renardo Green (hamstring), defensive end Sam Okuayinonu, and defensive tackle Evan Anderson and Kevin Givens.
— Those defensive line injuries prompted the 49ers to sign Michaal Dwumfour after Wednesday’s audition.
SATURDAY’S STARTERS
Look for most of the 49ers’ usual starters to sit out Saturday’s preseason opener.
“Won’t play a ton of them. Doesn’t mean we will rest all 22. But don’t expect to see a lot out there,” Shanahan said.
REUNION TIME
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw wore a familiar No. 57 jersey, only it was the Denver Broncos’ and it didn’t cover pads as he sat out with a quadriceps strain. Greenlaw did visit with his former 49ers teammates, however, including a hug for Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk midway through practice.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga, defensive tackle D.J. Jones and right tackle Mike McClinchey all practiced on their former training ground. Shanahan said he got to say hello to all except McClinchey. “Awesome to see those guys and glad Dre had the day off,” Shanahan said in deadpan fashion.
Warner said of Greenlaw: “I got a lot of time out there to talk to Dre. I love being around Dre, love to him death. I wish he was on our side but it’s his turn to be the guy over there.”
MOODY’S KICKS
Jake Moody, who’s kicking unopposed after Monday’s release of Greg Joseph, opened his session Thursday by banking in a field-goal attempt off the left post. Moody did not miss any kicks and finished with his 53-yarder in the two-minute drill.
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