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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Quarterback Colin Kaepernick wasn't the only member of the San Francisco 49ers to make his preseason debut Friday night against the Green Bay Packers. Rookie cornerback Will Redmond, a third-round pick of the Niners in this year's draft, appeared in his first NFL game as he works his way back from a torn right ACL he suffered in his senior season at Mississippi State. Considering it was his first chance to play in the NFL, Redmond fared well. He finished with four tackles (two for loss), a sack and a quarterback hit while serving as the backup nickel cornerback behind Chris Davis. “I just went out there ready to have fun," Redmond said. "It was my first game back. I just went out there to clear my head and ready to have fun and get back to doing what I do. “I am feeling good.”  To this point in training camp, Redmond had remained something of a mystery. He arrived with expectations of competing for the primary nickel job, but Davis had done most of the work there as Redmond was still limited in practice. Just this week, defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil said he wasn't sure Redmond was all the way back from the injury but intimated that Redmond would appear in a preseason game.
Sure enough, there Redmond was early in Friday night's game. “He’s still a work in progress, but it was good to finally get him back," coach Chip Kelly said. "That was his first game experience. Again, we’ll take a look at the film a little bit more closely to see where he is, but it was just happy. Both him and (safety) L.J (McCray), who have not played, (we need to evaluate) and see where they are and also see the effects of where they are, does the game-like situation affect them a little bit from the physical standpoint? We will obviously monitor them as we get ready for this short week against San Diego.” Redmond apparently didn't have any problems picking up O'Neil's defensive scheme in his first chance to do so. He came free on a blitz off the edge to come up with a sack and was active on special teams as well. “It was just a blitz off the edge," Redmond said. "It was a free blitz. Everybody took the rush, and I was there for the sack. You want a pick, but to get a sack and be able to punish the quarterback feels good too.” While cornerback might be the 49ers' deepest position, Redmond figures to land a spot on the 53-man roster even if he doesn't end up as the primary slot corner. Now that he has some game film under his belt, Friday's performance should only help the cause. “I feel good about my chances," Redmond said. "Everything that you go through you have to compete, and I am a competitor. I always want to compete. Competition is good, so it will make me better."
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