Jason breaks down a few passing concepts that Kyle Shanahan will use the 49ers rookie wideouts in
The San Francisco 49ers rookie class reports to Santa Clara on Thursday to prepare for Friday’s opening to rookie minicamp. First-round selection Ricky Pearsall and fourth-round selection Jacob Cowing will be the focus of the minicamp sessions as speculation will begin regarding their fit and readiness for training camp and beyond.
As a fun exercise, I found two passing concepts for each rookie, which put them right at home with the offense and their skillset.
Ricky Pearsall
Bang/Drift Concept
The 49ers run a variation of the drift concept by adding a bang route from their inside receiver. The drift concept begins with the condensed receiver. His job is to get outside the initial alignment before breaking inside and finding the hole in the defense.
Drift is effective due to the ball fake, which you will see in the clip, and gets the Mike linebacker to bite and open the throwing lane. The fake is a drift staple to pull in second-level defenders and throw the football behind them.
George Kittle goes in motion, and the 49ers fake an inside zone slice, opening the soft spot for Deebo Samuel. The motion gets Samuel a free release, and if the defense carries Samuel’s route, Brandon Aiyuk is the next option on the return/whip route.
How Pearsall fits
From the condensed split, Pearsall’s speed and ability to get open in the middle of the field make this a perfect marriage. Don’t discount Pearsall’s toughness over the middle of the field. Deebo has perfected this route, but Pearsall can get to the spot quicker and possibly run by defenders with an on-time throw.
Deep Dig Concept
Samuel was missing in this Minnesota game, so Jauan Jennings had to step in and shoulder the load. Again, notice the condensed split from Jennings. This play call is a dropback version of the deep dig concept. Brian Flores and the Minnesota defense are very aggressive and bring a fifth rusher to pressure Brock Purdy.
The Vikings rush five and have a two-deep safety look—Kittle stays in to block the fifth rusher. The inside linebacker jumps Kyle Juszczyk’s route, which Purdy identifies and can throw with anticipation to Jennings to beat the pressure. The ball is thrown before Jennings enters the window.
How Pearsall fits
Pearsall from the condensed split has the advantage. Pearsall’s speed will make Purdy’s throw less of an anticipation throw and relieve some of the pressure from the pass rush.
Jacob Cowing
Skinny Concept
Aiyuk is running the skinny post, which is broken at the same depth as the traditional post pattern but is about a 25-degree angle to the center of the field, depending on the coverage and offensive formation.
Seattle rotates the weak safety to the middle of the field, turning to a single high defense post-snap. Aiyuk uses his inside leverage against the cornerback one-on-one, and it leads to a big gain.
How Cowing fits
Cowing’s speed will threaten the outside cornerback, and this play call can be called a straight dropback concept for big gains. These types of one-on-one looks are great for Aiyuk. Cowing can make these play calls “easy money.”
Dagger Concept (Mike McDaniel twist)
Selfishly, I’m hoping Kyle Shanahan steals this one from Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins. Let’s start with the dagger concept. There are two primary routes: the inside receiver getting vertical with a clear-out route and the outside receiver running either a deep dig or square-in route at 16-18 yards.
Against cover one or three (single high looks), the vertical receiver can stay on their seam and occupy the centerfield safety and any other seam defenders.
Against Cover 2 or 4 (two high safety looks), the vertical route needs to bend inside to pull the play side safety. The bend inside can influence the far safety.
The frontside routes (vertical and dig) are usually paired with a shallow drag on the backside. The drag and dig create a high-low read.
The Chargers are in man coverage, and McDaniel’s twist is Hill’s fast motion on the dig route—let’s call it the “away” motion. Once Hill gets to full speed, his defender has no chance, and it’s an easy pitch and catch for a big gain.
How Cowing fits
Please, Kyle. Let’s see some of Cowing’s fast motion to threaten defenders downfield. Not only will it lead to big plays for Cowing, but it will also open things up for other receivers and other big plays. The league is a copy-cat league, so copy this, please!
About the Author: Insidethe49
