San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has repeatedly said he prefers joint practices over preseason games, so it makes sense why the Niners would welcome an allied team, the Denver Broncos (with whom Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have plenty of ties) over for some pre-preseason practices in advance of both squads' exhibition opener at Levi's Stadium on Saturday.
On top of that, there are plenty of San Francisco alumni now donning the blue and orange, so the opportunity to exchange some friendly greetings with former teammates is never a bad deal.
That said, the business of practice is to get the most out of going up against different competition, and competition means winners and losers.
So, from the 49ers' perspective, who won and who lost after Thursday's on-field scrimmages?
Winner: WR Jordan Watkins
OK, so one-on-one drills don't exactly amount to much more than eye candy. But, for rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins, pulling off a touchdown on a breakaway is worth noting.
Especially when the Niners' social media team makes it the highlight of the day:
Jordan Watkins house call 🏡 pic.twitter.com/pSqQZ3QeR4
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 7, 2025
Watkins is getting more attention with fellow receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Jacob Cowing and Jauan Jennings all out of the mix for one injury-related reason or another.
At one point, the first-year pro managed to beat the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, for a touchdown, too.
Impressive.
Winner: DT C.J. West
Ironically enough, San Francisco hasn't had a true 1-technique nose tackle since now-Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones left the fray back in 2022.
Rookie C.J. West might be the closest thing to a Jones-like clone, though, and potentially more imposing from the get-go.
West has already stood out in camp for all the right reasons, but he managed to get the most out of Denver's All-Pro right guard, Quinn Meinerz, for a would-be sack on Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
That's C.J. West beating first team All-Pro and arguably the best right guard in the game Quinn Meinerz https://t.co/5VOMEl98uJ
— Kyle Posey (@KP_Show) August 7, 2025
West hates quarterbacks, so...
Loser: 49ers offensive line
Granted, Denver's defense might end up being the best in the NFL this season, and it certainly got better by adding two former 49ers standouts, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga, during the offseason.
Shifting gears to look at what Broncos beat writers were saying about the practice, Zac Stevens of DNVR Broncos pointed out how there was effectively nothing the Niners offensive line could do to stop Denver's pass rush beyond dump-offs to running back Christian McCaffrey.
This might be twofold. On one hand, one shouldn't pretend the Broncos have anything but an elite defense. On the other, San Francisco didn't exactly put much effort into upgrading its offensive line during the offseason either.
Tack on additional reports of quarterback Brock Purdy taking multiple "sacks," and it's fair to at least bite a few fingernails about the 49ers O-line.
Winner: CB Upton Stout
Like West, rookie cornerback Upton Stout has been commanding camp practices and earning praise from both coaches and players alike.
On another one-on-one drill, Stout managed to have sticky coverage and come away with an interception:
The rookie Upton Stout showing out 😤 pic.twitter.com/rsFODcjCcr
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 7, 2025
Stout isn't just looking like the Niners' best rookie thus far, rather he's appearing to be their biggest camp standout, period.
Winner: K Jake Moody
Embattled kicker Jake Moody might have already won the kicking competition over the now-released Greg Joseph, but that alone creates plenty of concern and worry whether or not the 2023 third-round draftee could live up to the newfound pressure.
As far as the joint practices were concerned, so far, so good:
The update you all waited for:
Jake Moody was 8 of 8 today.
He made all seven of his usual kicks during the special teams period. A couple shaky ones to start, including a doink in, but the last four were solid.
Moody also made a 53-yarder to end the move-the-ball period. #49ers
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) August 7, 2025
Some near misses aren't exactly encouraging, but a make is a make. And seeing these performed in actual recreations of gameday instances is better news than if he hadn't made them.
Loser: DE Mykel Williams
At one point during practice reps, rookie defensive end Mykel Williams went down awkwardly and had to hobble off the field with what is now described as a knee injury.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan later informed reporters it wasn't too bad, likely a hyperextension. But, the bad news is Williams will likely miss a bit of time even if his regular-season campaign isn't necessarily threatened.
Williams, San Francisco's top pick from last April's NFL Draft, falls into the class of needing as many practice reps as possible, given he's expected to deliver quite the punch to the team's revamped defensive line.
Missing out on those will likely hinder his development, and it's anyone's guess how impactful that might be when the games start counting.
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