Here’s what we saw and heard at Trey Lance’s first day of training camp with the 49ers

It was a mostly good day for both 49ers quarterbacks, Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, as the team kicked off training camp with a competitive first practice on Wednesday.

Garoppolo continued what’s been a strong offseason dating back to OTAs in the spring, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan, smoothly running the first team offense to the point where Shanahan says it’s not a competition just yet for the starting quarterback job.

“I was impressed with both of them in OTAs,” Shanahan said. “I’ve only been around (both of) them one practice now and they seemed sharp today.”

The competition could ramp up if Lance proves worthy, and there were signs that could come while watching the No. 3 overall draft pick take his first reps in full-team drills. But those signs didn’t come right away.

Lance, as expected, took all his snaps with the second team. His first snap was an inside zone handoff to fellow rookie Elijah Mitchell. His second, there was a clear mix-up between him and his teammates, which led to some offensive linemen staying in their three-point stance while others fired, leading to the defensive line blowing the play up before it started.

Shanahan termed it a snap count issue which plagued Lance’s group and other backups throughout practice.

“Our cadence wasn’t great with the second and third group,” Shanahan said. “There was one exceptionally bad. It looked like 11 guys came off on a difference cadence.”

Lance’s first throw was a high one to second-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk — who made a handful of acrobatic catches throughout the day, including a leaping grab from Garoppolo that was a highlight in the second half of practice. Lance led Aiyuk toward the middle of the field into traffic, but the ball was airmailed well over Aiyuk’s head. He did a good job to get his hands on it, but couldn’t haul it in.

Lance, from there, appeared to ease in and get more comfortable. He was not a deer in the headlights as young quarterbacks can often be, but he wasn’t flawless.

Lance’s best throw of the day came during seven-on-seven drills, with no offensive line or pass rushers, when he hit a streaking Deebo Samuel down the left sideline with a well-placed ball between two defenders.

“It was just a go route,” Samuel said afterwards. “And the corner set, so I just looked up and the ball was placed perfectly well.”

Samuel caught the pass in stride, which was notable given how rarely 49ers quarterbacks have made deep throws in recent seasons. Lance’s big arm is in stark contrast to Garoppolo’s, but it’s clear Garoppolo has a quicker release and better grasp of the offense overall.

Lance was part of another highlight when he extended a play outside the pocket to his left and threw a jump ball to tight end George Kittle, who leaped over a reserve safety and snagged the pass along the left sideline. Lance, unofficially, completed four of his five throws in full-team drills and 5 of 7, including seven-on-seven periods.

“It was nice,” Shanahan said. “It was the right spot to go with the ball both times. Deebo went by his guy and he made a perfect throw in stride. Then the one to Kittle, it was pretty good coverage but he gave him an opportunity ball and Kittle went up and made a play. I was impressed with both the (pass catchers) and quarterback on those.”

Lance made news early Wednesday when he signed his fully guaranteed four-year rookie contract which allowed him to practice in the first place.

The deal $34.1 million in total with a $22.1 million signing bonus, according to Spotrac. By contrast, Garoppolo is due $24.1 million in base salary for 2021 with a $26.4 million cap hit. The 49ers have made it no secret having Lance on a rookie contract is appealing given all the money they’ve given out to players like Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner and left tackle Trent Williams, who all received contracts this offseason at the top of their respective positions.

Back to the issues with the snap counts, it appeared Lance made an adjustment later in practice when he drew the defensive line off-sides with a hard count. He took the free play and chucked a ball deep to a receiver down the field, which he’s coached to do, but the ball was caught by safety Tony Jefferson, who couldn’t get his feet in bounds for the interception. Still, taking the free play and making an aggressive throw downfield knowing the defensive penalty is coming is a sign Lance has a good grasp of things mentally.

Shanahan praised Lance for his work away from the facility for 40 days since the end of minicamp in June and this week.

“I saw a guy who didn’t stop working,” Shanahan said. “And we definitely check up on him a lot. Trey working, that’s not the issue. He’s going to work and do everything. Now, you do it away from us, you want to see what type of work he’s doing and everything. You get film and stuff like that, but we’ll see that over the course of these next seven practices.”

The 49ers have three more practices through Saturday before a day off Sunday. The first padded practice will be Monday.

Kinlaw dealing with knee setback

Second-year defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw participated only during individual drills during Wednesday’s practice after having a minor setback with his surgically repaired knee during his time off, Shanahan said.

Shanahan said Kinlaw’s knee began swelling while traveling over the summer and it required treatment and rehab in the weeks before training camp. Kinlaw had knee surgery after the 2020 season in which the team indicated was minor. Some teams before the 2020 NFL draft gave Kinlaw a medical red flag because of concerns surrounding his knee.

“It just swelled up a little bit,” Shanahan said. “I don’t know whether they drained it or not. ... But just a minor thing so he had to stay off of it for a little bit after they did that. And we didn’t want to throw him right back out there because he stayed off of it for a couple weeks going into camp.

“He’s good, he’s healthy, but a guy who stayed off his leg for a few weeks, you don’t just throw out there right away.”

Kinlaw, a first-round pick in 2020, is expected to be a key piece of the defensive line. The 49ers added Kinlaw with the pick they acquired in the trade of DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts that spring. Buckner had 9.5 sacks in his first year with Indianapolis while being named a first-team All-Pro for the first time. Kinlaw had 1.5 sacks in an uneven rookie season, though the team is hoping he’ll take a big jump in Year 2.

Bosa, Ford, Hurd in the mix

There was positive news Wednesday surrounding three other key 49ers dealing with injuries.

Star defensive end Nick Bosa was back on the practice field with a helmet and cleats participating in individual drills for the first time since tearing his ACL last September. Bosa appears to be on track to play Week 1 though the team will be cautious before inserting him into full-team drills in the mean time.

The 49ers have been impressed with Bosa’s training away from the facility since having surgery to repair the knee in the fall.

“Nick takes care of himself better than anyone I’ve ever been around,” Shanahan said. “The guy’s had a one-track mind and it’s awesome. So he knew he’d come in great (shape). Now it’s just about how much time it’s been since the injury. Him moving and looking like the player he is isn’t the issue. It’s just about going about it the right way. So when he gets out there with 22 people, he can react and feel safe if he gets put in an awkward position. We’ll take our time with that and be smart.”

Fellow pass rusher Dee Ford was also participating in Wednesday’s practice after it seemed his career was up in the air throughout the offseason following the back injury that cost him all but one game in 2020.

“It’s been a tough situation for him and us just going through it with the sensitivity of his injury,” Shanahan said. “So I try to never get too high or too low with it. If Dee Ford’s healthy and can play, we all know how much he’s going to help us and how much he did when he was healthy in 2019.

“I keep my fingers crossed and I’m not going to sit there and hope or wish. We’ll just go about our business and if things work out for him, it’s going to be a hell of a deal for him and a hell of a deal for the 49ers.”

Finally, receiver Jalen Hurd also participated during individual drills and appeared to be moving well after missing his first two seasons with back and knee injuries. Hurd is just under a year removed from tearing his ACL at the start of last season’s training camp.

The third-round draft pick in 2019 has yet to play a snap in the pros. But he scored two touchdowns in his preseason debut that year before his back injury and may have the most promise of any San Francisco receiver outside of Aiyuk and Samuel, the projected starters.

The 49ers have a crowded group of wideouts vying for the No. 3 job. Veteran Mohamed Sanu appears healthy and fresh after getting released by San Francisco midway through last season after getting slowed by a long-term high-ankle sprain. Sanu, 31, made a handful of catches during team drills on Wednesday leaving Shanahan to say he thought Sanu looked like he did earlier in his career with the Atlanta Falcons.

“I think he’s in such a better spot,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan noted the 49ers studied Sanu hard in 2019 before he was traded to the New England Patriots around the time San Francisco acquired Emmanuel Sanders from the Broncos.

“He was at the top of his game then,” Shanahan said. “He had such a bad high ankle sprain his last year in New England (2019) ... and he just wasn’t quite the same yet.

“I think you ask the players and anyone who’s watched him, he looks like the guy I remember and not the guy that we had (in 2020). He looked great today too so hopefully he’ll keep it up and keep it going.”