The San Francisco 49ers' best immediate-impact pick from the 2026 NFL Draft might very well be former Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton.
At least that was a general consensus not long after the Niners concluded their otherwise controversial draft class last April.
Halton wasn't able to make much of an impact early in training camp, initially thanks to the fact the pads hadn't come on yet and also because he was nursing a minor injury. But he's back on the field now, and it appears the former Sooner is turning up the heat for those who've been watching practices.
Here's what ESPN's Nick Wagoner had to say following San Francisco's eighth day of practice:
Gracen Halton continues to make a strong first impression. The guy has a lot of juice with a quick first step and short-area burst paired with some powerful hands that seem to catch OL off guard. He had impressive 1v1 wins against Robert Jones, Connor Colby and Jake Brendel. And then made some plays in team periods also. Halton also isn't afraid to express his passion, often letting out a yell after making a play or winning a 1v1 rep. Fresh legs help but this is also what he flashed at Oklahoma. It's early and he needs to do it against someone else but it's not hard to envision a role for him on third downs early as a rookie.
It might be one thing to win a one-on-one rep against someone like Colby, a late-round second-year pro who is backup material at this point in his career. But both Jones and Brendel are polished pros, meaning the rookie shining against them has to carry some weight.
Even defensive coordinator Raheem Morris noticed:
I see a young man that’s really feisty. Obviously, was off the field for a couple days and coming back really into it. Kind of fired up, sometimes a little too fired up. You get those kind of guys. Sometimes you got to tell them to kind of slow down a little bit to get with the tempo. The guy’s been going at a really high rate. Really going fast, really getting after it. He got out there today and really wanted to be a part of it the last couple of days, so it’s been fun to watch him get back.
Yes, those are reasons enough to get excited.
Gracen Halton is quickly emerging as 49ers' best rookie defensive standout
Granted, fans will have to wait and see what Halton does up against other competition when the opponents are wearing different uniforms and practicing different schemes. And the ultimate tests will be when the games matter.
But, so far, so good.
The 6-foot-2 Round 4 selection might already be on par with the 49ers' second-year interior lineman, Alfred Collins, and it's pretty clear the former has already surpassed fellow defensive tackle C.J. West on the depth chart.
And it might not be too surprising if Morris opts to deploy Halton more alongside veteran lineman Osa Odighizuwa on gamedays instead of banking on Collins' development.
It's a good problem to have, though, and Halton's rise could be one of the bigger saving graces from the Niners' otherwise controversial draft class.
Provided the hype continues throughout the duration of training camp, it won't be hard to see that come to fruition.
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