Danny Gray
Over the first nine practices, Danny Gray has generally been a positive on my practice reports, with me sharing that he’s the most improved receiver in that room this offseason. But how exactly has he improved?
Last offseason, it was clear that Gray was raw as a receiver; he had elite-level speed, but struggled to mesh it well with his route-running, while his lack of strength and release packages at the line of scrimmage caused defenders to have their way with him before he even had a chance to utilize that speed.
There were several 1-on-1 reps that Gray couldn’t even get past the line of scrimmage due to the issues he faced with press coverage. And those issues weren’t new; Gray had the same problems in college that were visualized on tape.
Still, I felt that his overall skillset would develop with time in the NFL, hence why I felt high about him in the draft, despite his raw nature.
Well, that development process has been on showcase this offseason, as Gray has put together an impressive training camp to solidify a roster spot during a year where there’s been significant competition at the backend of the position group, with Chris Conley, Tay Martin, and Ronnie Bell all flashing at times.
Gray has gotten stronger, which has led to much better success at the line of scrimmage, allowing him to then burn past defenders on go-routes purely with his speed.
However, his route-running has also improved, as Gray isn’t sacrificing much speed in and out of breaks, which was the case in college, leading to a ton of targets and good catches in training camp so far.
Gray did have a body-catching problem at times during college and his rookie season, but has developed better hands in Year 2, not dropping many, if any, passes during training camp so far, while working well with his athleticism at the catch point.
Is he ready for a starting role? He could push for Jauan Jennings’s spot in the slot, but I still think he’s better suited for a bigger role in 2024 once Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud hit free agency after the season. Nonetheless, it’s been a good bounce-back camp for Gray, who is showing he can play against the backups, and earning a ton of reps.
Leroy Watson
Earlier this offseason, I dubbed swing tackle as the most problematic issue on the 49ers’ roster, even over the starting right tackle spot and second defensive end, because of the depth at the position.
I wasn’t confident in Jaylon Moore or Matt Pryor, given their history at the position, and Leroy Watson was an unknown, although I did share during the OTAs period that I felt he had the best shot to win the job, given his transformation and the way he looked this offseason.
Transforming from a tight end to an offensive tackle over the past few years, Watson’s shape looks better this season, and he’s done as I believed: flashed at the swing tackle role, primarily working as the backup left tackle to Trent Williams with Jaylon Moore suffering a lower leg injury.
Watson still has development to go; he’s raw as a pass-protector and is still learning the position, but he’s impressed me more than Pryor, who hasn’t looked good, and Moore, who’s been inconsistent and is facing an injury.
The 49ers are undoubtedly going to carry a swing tackle on their roster for the 2023 season, and Watson has the edge on the battle, solely based on training camp.
