49ers wide receiver Malik Turner made an incredible catch during a one-on-one drill in Tuesday’s practice. While one catch doesn’t make a player’s entire camp, it’s at least some indicator of the quality on San Francisco’s depth chart.
The quality at the top of the 49ers receiving corps has never been a question mark. Deebo Samuel is a First-Team All-Pro and former first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk looks primed to break out in a big way. Even Jauan Jennings came on strong as an elite run blocker and chain mover. Throw in offseason signee Ray-Ray McCloud and third-round rookie Danny Gray and the club could have five legitimately reliable NFL receivers. Then there’s Turner who pulled down this amazing grab:
We only makin' the highlights 🎥#49ersCamp pic.twitter.com/MV4poy61w3
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 3, 2022
That’s rookie cornerback Samuel Womack in coverage. The ball was really well-thrown by quarterback Trey Lance, and the expectation in one-on-ones is for the receiver to get the better of the DB. Especially when it’s a veteran receiver against a rookie corner.
The catch is out of control though regardless of situation. To haul in a high-arcing deep ball like that with a defender grabbing at one arm is extremely impressive and will surely stick out to coaches. One catch won’t punch Turner’s ticket to a roster spot, but he could be the frontrunner for a sixth WR job if the team carries that many. Thanks to his ability to play special teams he made the cut in our last roster projection.
Turner signed with the 49ers this offseason after spending his first two seasons in Seattle and the last two seasons in Dallas. During his four-year career he has 29 catches for 414 yards and four touchdowns in 41 games. He’s also played 500 special teams snaps in the last three seasons.
He’s on the roster bubble for now, but more catches like this one will make it hard to leave him off the team come September.