The 49ers had a fine attendance for run-routes Friday. Quarterback Alex Smith typically assembles a number of receivers on Fridays for a route running session. Smith and rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick had the luxury of throwing to Kevin Jurovich, tight end Delanie Walker, rookie Ronald Johnson, and Kyle Williams, who returned from a week and a half of rehabilitating the hamstring he pulled in the first Alex Smith-sponsored minicamp. Here are some observations from Friday’s session.

-Say what you will about Alex Smith, but the man is the very definition of magnanimous. Smith constantly tutored young charge Kaepernick throughout the throwing session, even though Kaepernick might one day take Smith’s starting job.

-Smith also went through a number of routes and quizzed his receivers on their responsibilities for certain calls.

-All of the receivers look impressive; this might be the most competitive area in 49ers training camp, if there is a 49ers training camp.

-No one will be happier than Johnson to have the lockout end. The sixth-round pick wants to continue to work out, but is running low on funds to stay in the Bay Area.

-Johnson might be ahead of the vets because he’s coming from a West Coast system at USC were the verbiage and routes are similar. Johnson said the greatest difference in the 49ers system is at the top of route, where the receivers are directed to come back to the ball more often than at USC.

-None of the players had any insights on when the lockout would end, but they did say team rep Takeo Spikes does an excellent job of keeping the players informed.

-The union is providing players a stipend based on their number of years of in the league. Walker, who is going into his sixth year, receives $10,000 a month.

-Every time Walker caught the ball he let out a primal yell. He said he does it in games also. He sounds a little bit like Serena Williams, just at lower frequency.

-Almost all the routes the receivers ran had contingencies based on facing a man or zone defense or whether they are facing press or off coverage.

-Smith does not know whether either Frank Gore or Michael Crabtree will attend the four-day Camp Alex next week. Smith said he doesn’t expect the same attendance as the first Camp Alex two weeks ago because some players have prior commitments. “You never know who will actually show up until the first day,” he said.

-All the receivers have great respect for Dominique Zeigler because of his hard work, terrific hands, precise route running and special teams ability. They talk about him as if he’s the team’s best receiver. Zeigler is coming off a knee injury and is also an undrafted free agent. The 49ers are among the top teams in keeping their draft picks, but unlike other teams with a high number of drafted players on their rosters, like the Packers, the 49ers are not a playoff team. That situation makes it difficult for undrafted types like Zeigler.

-The receivers really like what they see in the passing game, and they are excited about its potential.