49ers wide receiver Dominique Zeigler made a leap up the depth chart in practice on Thursday. With Michael Crabtree and Brandon Jones out nursing injuries, which included a sore neck for the prior and a hamstring strain for the latter, he saw extended playing time in practice. Fellow receiver Jason Hill also was limited today, giving "Ziggy" even more time to shine.
Zeigler used his impressive jumping ability to snare several catches, a few of which were for touchdowns. There was one where he tapped his toes in the back of the endzone as well. He has a history in the long and high jump events in track, and is making a big push to make the final roster. The sky - quite literally - appears to be the limit for Zeigler at this point.
Earlier in the offseason, Zeigler was noted for his very solid route running ability when wide receivers coach Jerry Sullivan used him as an example for the other receivers. When someone didn't run a route properly, they were told to watch how Zeigler did it.
Matt Maiocco had a few good quotes regarding Zeigler:
I've always gotten the impression the 49ers would love to keep Zeigler on the team. Right now, he's giving the team no other choice. (Zeigler Has Jump Out On Practice Field)
Brandon Jones and Jason Hill are out. In my mind, Dominique Zeigler has clearly been among 49ers top 4 WRs in training camp. (Twitter)
With Crabtree being day-to-day, look for Zeigler to get plenty of playing time in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.