49ers must be exuberant about 3 rookie defenders after Titans game

The San Francisco 49ers' 19-13 exhibition loss to the Tennessee Titans may have raised several questions, particularly about the shorthanded run game and a questionable offensive line.

But, on the defensive side of the ball, there were several Niners who stood out.

Especially three from San Francisco's 2026 NFL Draft class.

With Tennessee fielding plenty of its starters for the first half of the game, Thursday night's tilt was an excellent chance for many of the rookies to get some crucial field time against starting-caliber competition.

And the trio of defensive tackle Gracen Halton, linebacker Jaden Dugger and cornerback Ephesians Prysock certainly stood out for the right reasons.

49ers witnessed Gracen Halton's disruptiveness

Halton, selected in Round 4 out of Oklahoma, showcased his pocket-wrecking force and seemed to cause all kinds of trouble for the Titans' offensive interior.

The box score was impressive enough with the rookie logging three tackles, one of which was for a loss. And had it not been for a penalty on Niners cornerback Jakob Robinson, Halton would've had an impressive sack of Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward.

Despite missing out on that accolade, Halton nevertheless showed he can already be a valuable piece of San Francisco's defensive line rotation.

Perhaps more.

Jaden Dugger and Ephesians Prysock both flash promise for 49ers

Prysock, the fifth-round corner out of Washington, had an impressive pass breakup near the goal line when working against Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate, the No. 4 overall pick from last April's draft:

While he wasn't anything of a ballhawk at the collegiate level, the next best thing a cornerback can do is break up passes, as Prysock certainly showcased that ability in a high-stress situation in the red zone.

Dugger, meanwhile, revealed how coordinator Raheem Morris plans on using him in his defense—a versatile chess piece who can line up all over the formation where needed.

The fifth-rounder out of Louisville looked nothing like a day-three draftee, rather showcasing his sideline-to-sideline speed and even making an impressive open-field tackle on Ward that prevented a big gain.

Sure, Dugger has some rawness that'll need to get ironed out. But, for a late-round pick to perform that well in his first true NFL action, one certainly has to feel good about his promise.

The 49ers certainly will after he and the other two defensive rookies did so on Thursday night.

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