How 49ers’ featherweight corner Jakob Robinson has made the team take notice (paywall)
“The San Francisco 49ers’ undrafted rookie cornerback made himself a bagel slathered with peanut butter and honey before trekking to Bagels Tea in Huntington Beach for a bacon, egg and cheese croissant.
“I was focused on eating food all day until I wanted to throw up, literally,” Robinson said. “I’d be gagging in my room after eating my two breakfasts.”
Gorging and gagging while training at the Sports Academy in Seal Beach helped get Robinson to the NFL: He gained 18 pounds in three months to tip the scales at 181 pounds. That’s not a misprint. Yes, he weighed 163 pounds as a senior at BYU, and his weight raised questions about his ability to play at the next level.
That was nothing new. Robinson, who is 5-foot-10, received just two Division I scholarship offers as a 140-pound senior at Orem (Utah) High School. Two years earlier, he weighed just over 100 pounds, or less than a Great Dane.“
49ers stock report: 6 risers (and a few fallers) through 3 weeks of training camp (paywall)
“This is an interesting competition. The 49ers are looking for someone who can be an emergency replacement at center or guard if there’s an injury during a game. Hennessy is a better center than guard. Zakelj is a better guard than center.
Hennessy’s stock is higher at this point because he played better in Saturday’s game, and because Shanahan needs to make sure he’s got insurance at center. After all, he went through six of them during a disappointing 2020 season, and starter Jake Brendel will turn 33 next month. Meanwhile, seventh-round rookie Connor Colby has looked good recently and might end up providing depth at guard this season.“
Meet the 49ers undrafted rookie (with a superhero nickname) pushing for a roster spot (paywall)
“The 49ers have had some injuries on the defensive line, which has opened the door for Valdez — just like it did at Montana State. He had started hitting the weight room hard at Monte Vista High near San Diego, and was a strong 235 pounds when Howe first noticed him. The plan was for Valdez to build his weight up gradually, but Valdez was forced to play because of injuries in his first year in 2021.
After that, there was no stopping him.
‘“He would eat, go work out, then go eat and then come back, and you’d see him in there rolling out his whole body, stretching, stretching with bands,” Howe said. “He didn’t just get bigger. He got faster, twitchier, more flexible.”
Montana State used a “cheetah” package, designed for four defensive ends, on passing downs … but Valdez never came off the field.“
Colton McKivitz, 49ers fans’ pet scapegoat, uses criticism to fuel his climb (paywall)
“People would “wave and be like, ‘Can I run with you?’ Sure enough, a 50-year-old guy comes running, and a couple other marathon runners (run) with us. They’d sprint up the hill and I’d try chasing after them. They were super polite. They’d give you a weird stare. You’re dodging Waymos and bikes, but it’s just cool to embrace the city this team is (representing). Not a lot of guys do it, but it’s just a cool place to work.”
McKivitz’s scouting report:
“Kearny is the steepest and worst hill in San Francisco. Vallejo (Street) has a beautiful view of the Bay Bridge. … With Kearny, you are looking into downtown, and it’s just straight vertical. So Kearny was definitely the worst. … You look up at it and you’re like, ‘You ready?’ And then you just go.”
Azim has a strong background in boxing and UFC, so he got McKivitz into that world, too. They didn’t do any actual sparring, but they worked with bags and handheld pads. They did pummeling, a wrestling-type training that deals with leverage, body positioning and use of hands.
After a session of bringing the city’s hills to their knees, Colton and the family would head over to Crissy Field to let Cedar and Teddy swim in the bay.“
49ers reportedly signing record-setting UFL receiver
“Die-hard 49ers fans might recognize Turner’s name. He had two previous stints with San Francisco, spending time on the practice squad in 2022 and again in 2024.
Most recently, Turner starred for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). In this year’s UFL Championship Game, he set a league record with 168 receiving yards and three touchdowns, though his Panthers ultimately fell to the DC Defenders.
The 29-year-old wideout finished the 2025 UFL regular season with 365 receiving yards and four touchdowns, then added another 269 yards and four scores in the postseason.“
49ers reportedly signing two edge rushers amid injury concerns
“Demone Harris began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, later appearing in games for the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans. After briefly retiring in August 2023, Harris returned to sign with the Atlanta Falcons. Over 23 career games, he has recorded 22 tackles (three for loss), four quarterback hits, and two passes defensed.
William Bradley-King entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2021. He later spent time with the New England Patriots in 2023 and the Miami Dolphins in 2024. In four career games, Bradley-King has tallied seven tackles and 0.5 sacks.“
Injured 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk embraces his role as player-coach (paywall)
“He almost one day was like, ‘Man, why don’t you let me run a meeting?’” Hankerson said. “I was thinking, I can’t let you run a meeting, but I can give you a play or so that you can talk about.”
The star wide receiver has regularly accompanied Hankerson to the SAP Performance Facility practice fields, having embraced his temporary role as an auxiliary coach throughout OTAs and the opening weeks of training camp……“BA is BA,” cornerbacks coach Ray Brown said. “He’s very confident. I absolutely love it. He’s been great because I literally ask him, ‘What are the things that give you issues? What do you like to see from a corner? When a guy’s pressing you, what are the things you’re looking at?’ So he can coach me up from what he sees from his lens.”
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