Tag: Ronnie Bell

Watch: 49ers’ Sam Darnold finds rookie Ronnie Bell for TD vs. Rams

After running in a touchdown earlier, Sam Darnold added a touchdown pass in the first half against the Rams.

After sneaking in a rushing touchdown early, Sam Darnold got on the board through the air before halftime against the Los Angeles Rams.

With Brock Purdy is on the sideline, Sam Darnold rifled in a touchdown pass to rookie Ronnie Bell. From five yards out, Darnold spun a touchdown pass into a tight window for the rookie pass catcher out of Michigan.

With a touchdown through the air and on the ground from Darnold, the 49ers jumped out to a commanding 21-7 lead before halftime against their division rivals.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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49ers 2023 rookie report card is mostly useless at halfway point

The #49ers rookie report card is … bare.

The 49ers didn’t pick until late in the third round of the 2023 draft. It didn’t seem like a big deal considering they still walked away with a nine-player class that had a chance to fill a couple of key needs.

There was never a realistic possibility the 49ers’ rookie class had a wide swath of contributors. However, the early returns from that group can’t even be labeled as “not promising” because the reality is a vast majority of the players haven’t had any chance to make a real contribution.

We went through the rookie class and dished out “grades” for their first half performances. It won’t take long to notice a pattern:

49ers rookie WR Ronnie Bell could see increased role vs. Cardinals

Ronnie Bell could take on a significant role for the #49ers on offense vs. the Cardinals.

There haven’t been many opportunities that 49ers rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell hasn’t taken advantage of as a pro. He dominated in the preseason as the team’s leading receiver and worked his way onto the roster thanks to his tenacity after the catch and ability to contribute on special teams. Now as injuries hit San Francisco’s receiving corps, Bell is once again seizing the uptick in opportunity.

In Week 3 with WR Brandon Aiyuk sidelined by a shoulder injury, the 49ers turned to their rookie seventh-round pick. He played a career-high 31 snaps and caught both of his targets for 24 yards and a touchdown (albeit one target wasn’t meant to find him, but a fortunate bounce off a deflection earned him a reception).

Aiyuk is set to return in Week 4, but now WR Deebo Samuel is dealing with a knee injury that could keep him out of action when the 49ers host the Cardinals.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday in a press conference said his confidence in Bell has grown throughout Bell’s time with the 49ers.

“He started in pre-season, started in practice, carried over to the games,” Shanahan said. “He’s been great in these first three weeks. Played really well without the ball and when he’s got opportunities, he has done exactly what he’s expected to do and gets better in practice every day and been real excited with him so far.”

San Francisco could once again be looking to Bell to make plays for them on offense. Samuel is questionable and WR Jauan Jennings is doubtful with a shin injury.

That could open the door for Bell to take on an outsized role as the No. 2 receiver against the Cardinals. It may seem like a lot for a rookie seventh-round selection to take on, but given how Bell has responded to challenges so far in the NFL, it’s hard to fault Shanahan and the coaching staff if they have enough faith in him to increase his opportunities.

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Studs and Duds from 49ers’ 30-12 win over Giants on Thursday Night Football in Week 3

Here’s a look at some of the studs and duds from the 49ers’ dominant win over the Giants on Thursday Night Football.

After two crucial road wins to start the season, the San Francisco 49ers showed no signs of letting off the pedal in their home opener on Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants. 

Behind Deebo Samuel breaking tackles and Nick Bosa wreaking havoc up front, the 49ers cruised to another 30-point performance in a 30-12 win over the Giants in primetime.

After the 49ers became the NFL’s first team to move to 3-0, here’s a look at some of the studs and on dud from Thursday Night Football in Santa Clara.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

Watch: 49ers rookie WR Ronnie Bell catches first TD

The rookie pass catcher is on the board with his first touchdown reception.

With Brandon Aiyuk ruled out against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football due to a shoulder injury, Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers needed to rely on some new pass catchers early in the season.

With the opportunity to get more reps with Aiyuk inactive, Ronnie Bell capitalized. After the 49ers drove down the field with some clutch third-down pick-ups from Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, Bell capped off the 49ers’ first touchdown drive against the Giants.

As Purdy floated a short pass off his back foot with pressure in his face, Bell came down with his first NFL touchdown reception of his young career. Purdy connected with Bell for a nine-yard touchdown pass to take a 10-3 lead over the Giants.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

https://x.com/49ers/status/1705025431018324056?s=20

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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7 players to watch in 49ers 2nd preseason game vs. Broncos

7 players to watch on Saturday in the #49ers 2nd preseason game:

The 49ers on Saturday will suit up for their second of three preseason games. While their preseason opener didn’t go particularly well with a 34-7 loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas, it did give some valuable information about where some key players stood in the hunt for starting jobs and roster spots.

Based on the preseason opener and the trio of practices since, we put together a list of the seven players we’re keeping a close eye on when the Broncos visit Levi’s Stadium on Saturday.

WATCH: 49ers QB Sam Darnold connects on deep shot to rookie WR Ronnie Bell

During his first drive of the preseason, Sam Darnold floated a beautiful pass down the sideline to rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell.

After a slow start led to an up-and-down performance from Trey Lance in the first half of the San Francisco 49ers’ preseason opener on Sunday, Sam Darnold didn’t waste any time getting going in the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders.

With the 49ers pinned deep near the opposing goal line, Darnold dropped back on second and 14 to find a rookie wide receiver down the sideline for a big gain. Darnold floated a beautiful pass down the sideline to Ronnie Bell for a 37-yard dime.

Via @NFL on Twitter:

Darnold finished the third quarter with an impressive 84 yards on 5-of-6 passing against the Raiders. Heading into the final frame, the Raiders are holding onto a commanding 24-7 lead in Sin City.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Did 49ers find another gem in Round 7?

Who was the 49ers’ biggest steal of the draft?

The 49ers have had relatively good success in the final round of the draft during the John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan era. Prior to this year they made five picks in the seventh round and all of the players selected made the active roster and contributed in at least small ways. Now they might have gem from this year’s seventh round.

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar ran through his best steals of the 2023 draft. San Francisco had plenty of picks to choose from since all of their nine selections came at pick No. 87 or later, but it was Michigan wide receiver Ronnie Bell – the 253rd overall pick – who Farrar identified as the 49ers’ steal of the draft. Via Farrar:

Last season, Bell led the Wolverines by far with 62 catches on 97 targets for 892 yards and four touchdowns. Eight of those receptions, along with 284 yards and two touchdowns, came on passes of 20 or more air yards. Bell was a particular problem for TCU’s defense in the Fiesta Bowl, catching six passes on nine targets for 135 yards and a touchdown. In his final collegiate game, Bell showed the kind of downfield speed and leverage ability that could serve him quite well in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

The other thing that stands out with Bell is his tenacity and willingness to get his hands dirty as a blocker. Those two things could serve him well in carving out an offensive role eventually, but it’s also easy to see how a player with his demeanor would make an impact on special teams. Kick coverage is Bell’s likeliest path to the roster.

Another thing going Bell’s way is that two seventh-round receivers have already found their way into impactful roles in the 49ers’ offense. Richie James in the 2018 draft and Jauan Jennings in the 2020 draft both carved out spots on the roster. James had a smaller offensive role, but a sizable role on special teams as the return man. Jennings spent his rookie year on the practice squad before emerging as a go-to third down target during the 2021 campaign.

San Francisco has an expensive roster that isn’t going to get much cheaper any time soon, so finding late-round picks who can contribute will be paramount to their success. Given their recent history in the seventh-round it wouldn’t be a shock if Bell is one off those picks.

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2023 NFL Draft: The best draft steal for every NFL team

Every NFL draft has its selection of steals — those players who could surprise despite their low selections — and here’s one for every NFL team.

One of the many reasons the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII was the job that general manager Brett Veach did outside of the first round of the 2022 draft. Three defensive backs (Bryan Cook in the second round, Joshua Williams in the fourth, and Jaylen Watson in the seventh) were difference-makers all season, and seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco became the team’s bellcow back down the stretch. Also, second-round receiver Skyy Moore joined Pacheco with touchdowns in that Super Bowl victory over the Eagles.

First-round hits are nice, but it’s almost worse to miss in the first round than it is better to win there from an opportunity cost perspective. If you want to refresh your roster at a championship level, you had better get those picks right on the second and third day. Veach and his staff did that, and it was the difference that made all the difference in the end.

Moving to the 2023 NFL draft, we’ve selected one second- or third-day pick for every NFL team who could have a similar impact on their NFL roaters sooner than mater. Each of these players have reasons for their relatively low picks in line with their tape, stats, and talent, but these are the kinds of finds that can turn a team around over time.

Where every Michigan football draftee ranked coming out of high school

Development-U!!!! #GoBlue

Michigan football had the second-most players (9) drafted in the 2023 NFL draft. Alabama and Georgia had 10 each.

The Wolverines had four players go during the first two days of the draft, and the maize and blue even had a kicker drafted in the third round. Jake Moody was the first kicker to get drafted in the first three rounds since 2016.

Not every Michigan player drafted this year was a star coming out of high school. Some were lower-rated players that got a great education and the coaching staff helped mold them into a star in college and an NFL player now.

We are going to go back in memory lane and show you where every player was ranked at coming out of high school before their Michigan career began. For this exercise, we are going to use the 247Sports composite rankings.