The San Francisco 49ers might be pretty damn good on the 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.
It doesn’t end there. The 49ers may have also added a key depth piece in rookie 4th-round pick Gracen Halton.
“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.”
First, though, Halton needs to get healthy. He’s been dealing with a bone bruise issue through the 1st part of training camp and remained sidelined on Monday, according to 49ers.com’s Brooke Evans.
Size Could Become Issue for Gracen Halton
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’re at with Halton.
“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.”
49ers Dealing With Vast Array of Injury Issues
Halton isn’t the only 1 dealing with an injury — the 49ers have the worst string of injury luck of any team just through the beginning part of training camp.
That included Collins, who just came off the PUP list on August 1 after missing the entire spring with a shoulder injury.
“His spring was wiped out due to after-season shoulder surgery, but Collins should be back for the beginning of training camp,” The Athletic’s Matt Barrows wrote. “The 49ers were encouraged by the big man’s rookie campaign, which while not spectacular, did include nearly 500 snaps, four quarterback hits and perhaps San Francisco’s top play of 2025 — Collins’ forced fumble against the Los Angeles Rams on the 1-yard line late in a Week 5 overtime win. This year he’ll be paired with veteran Osa Odighizuwa, creating a pick-your-poison situation for opposing offensive lines. The 49ers need both Collins and fellow 2025 draft pick Mykel Williams to take big steps forward in their second seasons.”
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