Evaluation of DL Sebastian Joseph-Day’s Debut by Kyle Shanahan

A team being able to add a player of starting caliber thus late in the season is uncommon. But when they signed defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day this past week, the San Francisco 49ers did just that. Kyle Shanahan evaluated him during his conference call on Monday. He was able to make his 49ers debut against the Commanders. His thoughts on Joseph-Day’s performance are as follows.

“Having him there was a positive thing. We were clearly fond of both the player and the guy. He is being asked to perform entirely different tasks. His playing style with two gaps and his body language are completely different from ours.

I was really impressed with him after only giving him a half session, where he was able to focus on a few things at full speed for two periods, and then go out and do those eleven plays. He completed all of our requests and was ready to depart. Next week, I’ll wager that he will have a little bit more playing time. Joseph-Day is expected to play a significant role in the season finale over the Rams. Since it’s unlikely that the 49ers will start the entire game, Joseph-Day has a great chance to become more comfortable with his new squad. His arrival coincides with a period of uncertainty about the 49ers’ future.

In case Armstead comes back on a limited basis, Joseph-Day can fill the rest of those reps with some quality.