Five Major Takeaways from 49ers Rookie Minicamp

The 49ers just wrapped up rookie minicamp on Friday. It was a two-day event, which featured a light 60-minute practice on Day 2. The players did not wear pads, and the draft picks did not participate in 7-on-7 team drills, meaning they didn't compete.

With that in mind, here are five major takeaways from rookie minicamp.

1. De'Zhaun Stribling might make his earliest impact on special teams.

Stribling is big and fast and built like a veteran. I fully expect him to perform well during OTAs, minicamp and training camp, just as Jordan Watkins did last year. Both Watkins and Stribling are 4.3 guys who came to the 49ers from Ole Miss.

Unfortunately for Stribling, head coach Kyle Shanahan tends to play rookies on his offense only when he has to. And the 49ers currently have at least three receivers ahead of him on the depth chart -- Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk. If one of those players gets injured, Stribling will have an opportunity to play receiver.

Until then, don't be surprised if he's one of the starting gunners on the punt coverage team. He took reps there on Friday and has the ideal build for that position.

2. Romello Height is a defensive end -- for now.

Height weighs just 239 pounds, and he played outside linebacker at Texas Tech. He lined up in a two-point stance (standing up) and often dropped into coverage.

On Friday, he wore no. 94, he warmed up with the defensive ends and practiced rushing with his hands in the dirt, not standing up. He looked like a skinny version of Dee Ford. It seems likely he will be a situational pass rusher this year, not a starter.

In addition, it seems the 49ers will stick with their 4-3 wide-9 front and not switch to a 3-4, which is what Raheem Morris coached the past few seasons in Atlanta and on the Rams.

3. Kaelon Black looks ready to contribute right away.

Black will turn 25 in October, so he's clearly not a project. And he's extremely muscular for a rookie -- much more so than Jordan James, whom the 49ers drafted last year. He's 22 and looks like it. Black is built like he's 30. If he stays healthy, expect him to immediately be the no. 2 running back behind Christian McCaffrey.

I don't expect Black to catch many passes, but the 49ers don't need him to. They need him to fight for the tough yards between the tackles so McCaffrey doesn't have to so often. Expect Black to run the ball at least five times per game. He has a lot in common with former 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell.

4. Carver Willis looks like a starting left guard.

You can tell he played left tackle for six years in college. He's built like a left tackle, which means he carries his weight effortlessly. In fact, he wears no. 74 -- Joe Staley's old number -- and even moves a bit like him.

Willis is moving to guard because he has short arms. But he already looks like a better athlete than Connor Colby, who started six games at left guard as a rookie last season. I wouldn't be surprised if Willis beats out Colby for that job this year.

5. Kurtis Rourke is an intriguing young quarterback.

He's bigger than Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, he moves well in the pocket, he knows where to go with the football, and he gets rid of it quickly with anticipation and accuracy. Granted, he's a redshirt rookie, which means he was drafted last year and didn't play. So he had a leg up on the competition at rookie minicamp.

Still, Rourke clearly seemed comfortable operating the system. If he plays well this offseason. the 49ers will have no choice but to give a spot on the 53-man roster.