The San Francisco 49ers might have a real 1 in rookie defensive tackle and 2026 4th-round pick Gracen Halton.
Halton went massively viral for a play in Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans in which he dominated offensive lineman Peter Skoronski — a former 1st-round pick and the NFL’s highest-paid guard after signing a 4-year, $100 million contract extension on August 7.
“Once I get hot, it’s over with,” Halton told ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “I win one and then next thing you know, I’m in my head like, okay, I got this. So I build that confidence and it’s over.”
Halton, 6-foot-3 and 293 pounds, uses a simple bull rush to drive Skoronski, 6-foot-4 and 331 pounds, off the ball, toss him aside, and sack Titans quarterback and 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
“49ers rookie DT Gracen Halton just ran through the highest-paid OG in the NFL,” SFNiners wrote on its official X account.
“The addition of Halton and Osa were exactly what SF needed on the DL,” Seahawks reporter Brian Nemhauser wrote on his official X account. “Savvy moves that were low cost for what they bring. Injuries and age are a real issue for this team, but there is a set of scenarios where the 49ers are significantly better than they were a year ago.”
“Or put another way, Halton takes advantage of the worst starting (guard) in the NFL who can’t even recognize a stunt from rookies,” Seahawks blogger Curtis Allen wrote on X.
The 49ers used the No. 107 overall pick on Halton and signed him to a 4-year, $5.6 million contract.
“Our 50th Ranked player (overall),” Draft Stacks’ Damon Wolfe wrote on his official X account. “We were much higher than most on him.”
49ers Assembling Top-Notch Interior Defensive Line
Not only did the 49ers trade for $80 million Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, but they’ll presumably get to pair him with an up-and-coming star in 2nd-year defensive tackle Alfred Collins, a 6-foot-6, 332-pound monster who surprised with his ability to impact games as a rookie.
Halton could be an incredibly valuable depth piece.
“Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton was a fourth-round pick and brings value both as a pass-rusher and against the run,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote on August 4. “He earned a 76.9 PFF pass-rush grade after generating 30 pressures on 259 pass-rushing snaps in 2025. He was even better against the run, earning a career-high 87.5 PFF run-defense grade in his final season at Oklahoma.”
Gracen Halton’s Size Hurt Draft Stock
It’s hard to imagine someone who is 6-foot-3 and 293 pounds being undersized to play defensive tackle in the NFL, but that’s where we were at with Halton headed into the draft.
“An undersized 3-technique with disruptive attributes, Halton is best suited for a rotational role in a movement-based front,” NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He plays with synced hands and feet and good lateral agility. His initial quickness makes him quite slippery but a centered block can clear him from the run lane due to his lack of mass/anchor.”
What the 49ers need most from Halton is help defending the run, which could make him a rotational player as a rookie.
“The 49ers continue adding to their defensive line with someone who can help the run defense in Halton,” ESPN’s Nick Wagoner wrote in April. “His 9.9% run stop rate in 2025 led the FBS, as opponents averaged 1.8 yards per rush when he was on the field. He also had a pressure rate of 11.7% last year, fourth-highest among defensive tackles in the FBS and the best in the SEC. Halton should slide right into San Francisco’s defensive tackle rotation along with Osa Odighizuwa, Alfred Collins and C.J. West.”
‘Relentless’ 49ers Rookie Embarrasses $100 Million Titans Star