While the San Francisco 49ers and many fans are likely still coming down from the high of the news that DeForest Buckner is coming back home, it’s time to start digging into what the ramifications of this move are for other members of the team. On its face, the move would seem to hurt rookie Gracen Halton the most, but Buckner might actually end up helping the rookie.
The defensive tackle has arguably been the most impactful 49ers rookie this season. Halton has started six of the team’s seven games, and he has two sacks, 15 combined tackles, and a memorable forced fumble against the Seattle Seahawks, which he recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
It seems highly likely that Buckner will join Osa Odighizuwa as a starter on the defensive line. That means Halton would see a significant decrease in snaps, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
DeForest Buckner will provide Gracen Halton with valuable mentorship, among other things
Halton has been banged up and playing through some injuries, and he’s been leaned upon a lot this season after Alfred Collins went down with a season-ending injury. With Buckner now in the mix, that means Halton can be more of a rotational player, and he won’t have to bear as much of the burden up front.
Buckner can also serve as a mentor figure to Halton. He’s been one of the most reliable defensive tackles in the NFL since San Francisco selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He knows how to succeed at the NFL level and Halton will be able to learn how Buckner goes about his business and prepares every single week.
Halton shouldn’t in any way view this as an indictment of the way he’s played. This is all about getting better as a team, and as any 49ers fan should know at this point, depth is of the utmost importance.
The red and gold controls its destiny in the NFC West and knows that the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are not going to simply fade away. Expect general manager John Lynch to continue being aggressive in the coming weeks ahead of the November 10th trade deadline.
The 49ers are loading up, and while Halton may no longer be a starter, he is still going to play an integral role and is only going to be better as a result of more veteran leadership at his position.
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