49ers 2026 Draft Analysis - Day 3
The 49ers made 8 selections during the draft.
We went over the three picks made on Day 2 on Sunday. We will review the remaining five picks, all on Day 3, right now.
I will give a quick analysis and opinion on the player, as well as a quick break down on their role as a rookie.
Here's my disclaimer from the last article:
First, let's discuss the elephant in the room:
The 49ers "reached" on the most of their selections. Of course, the term reach, in this case, is based on the Consensus Board. And if you want my thoughts on people who complain about this, here you go.
So excuse me if I do not bring up how disastrous this draft was because of "reaching" on prospects.
Here's the chart of how they strayed from the consensus board, via @sfdata9ers on Twitter.
Pick 107:
Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma
The 49ers found themselves at Pick 107 because of a trade down on Day 2:
Picks 58 + 152 in exchange for Picks 70 + 107
And they were able to land the "sliding" Gracen Halton at this selection. Here is his college production, all while at Oklahoma.
2022 - 10 tackles, 1 TFL
2023 - 11 tackles, 4 TFLs
2024 - 30 tackles, 6 TFLs, 5 sacks, 2 FFs
2025 - 33 tackles, 7 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF
More 2025 stats(via PFF):
30 pressures
22 QB hurries
19 run stops
Halton's measurements:
6'3, 293lbs
31 1/8" arm length, 10" hands
4.82 40 yard dash (95th percentile)
1.70 10 yard split (75th)
36 1/2" vertical jump (98th)
9'6 broad jump (92nd)
4.79 20 yard shuttle (20th)
The Good
Alignment versatility
Halton seems to be a prototypical 3 tech, but lined up all over the defensive line at Oklahoma. He has the athleticism to align wider and even move around the edge. He even would align in a nose or 2i slot, which won't happen in the NFL.
Pass rush ability
This is what Halton projects to do best at the NFL level. And it's because of his athleticism. Halton has great feet and agility, is quick, and has active hands. All of this contribute to what he'll do as a pass rusher in the NFL. And these traits also contribute to the next positive...
Run defense
Two quick numbers: 10.2% stop rate as a run defender. 86.9 run defense grade in 2025(PFF). Halton quickness and hands allow him to be a strong run defender, even if there are some concerns at the NFL level due to size.
Relentlessness
Halton has a great motor, he never stops chasing the ball carrier. This matters, it's something that can get a Day 3 guy onto the field. It also shows in his pass rush pursuits.
The Bad
Anchor
Halton is an attacking player and isn't particularly heavy. He mostly lacks the ability to sink his feet in the ground and hold his space, particularly on a double team. This is what the 49ers went out to fix last offseason, drafting Alfred Collins and C.J. West. These guys don't get moved in the run game, Halton does.
Size and length.
I mentioned the size, as it affects the anchor. You may have read "The Good" and asked yourself how this isn't a guaranteed Pro Bowler. It's mostly because of Halton's size. I think he's too athletic and plays with so much effort that he'll be an NFL guy, but his size could put a cap on his ceiling. Halton's length might prevent him from creating serious pressure in the NFL.
Halton immediately projects as the fourth DT on the depth chart, likely pairing him with C.J. West on the second rotation. He is quite similar to Osa Odighizuwa, who the 49ers acquired this offseason, as a pass rushing, flexible interior player.
Now, the 49ers may be featuring a new defense this year. DC Raheem Morris has run a variety of defenses as a coach. I imagine it's a combination of his typical 5 man fronts with some classic 49ers wide nine front.
In a wide nine, Halton will get a decent amount of snaps in his rotational DT role. In a five man front, he can even widen out to a 5 tech and be a flexible rusher. I do wonder how big this role will be, with the 49ers have a few defensive ends who will kick inside to rush the passer(Mykel Williams, Keion White, Cam Sample).
Pick 127:
Carver Willis, OL, Washington
The 49ers landed their first offensive lineman of the draft in Carver Willis, a college LT, who projects to be an interior player at the NFL level.
2020 - Kansas State: 4 games
2021 - Kansas State (redshirt)
2022 - Kansas State: 7 games
2023 - Kansas State: 7 starts at RT, HM for All Big 12 team
2024 - Kansas State: 11 starts at RT
2025 - Washington: 10 starts at LT, HM for All Big 10 team
More 2025 stats(via PFF):
(in 283 pass blocking snaps)
2 sacks allowed
2 QB hits allowed
20 pressures allowed
4 penalties
Willis' measurements(OL):
6'5, 303lbs
32 1/2" arm length, 9 1/2" hands
5.11 40 yard dash (78th percentile)
1.84 10 yard split (26th)
26 1/2" vertical jump (31st)
The Good
Athleticism
Despite the underwhelming combine numbers, Willis' athleticism shows up. Maybe athleticism is a bit generous, we'll say mobility. He can bounce out of his stance quickly and has the ability to get to his blocking landmarks. His first step really fits being an interior guy in a zone scheme for the 49ers.
Run blocking
As mentioned, the athleticism, mobility, whatever you want to call it, is really what contributes to Willis' run blocking. He also has a fairly strong ability to finish his blocks in the run game, making his presence known with his initial contact.
Scheme fit
Again, this was mentioned. Willis' strong suit is his movement, and really the best outcome for him was ending up on a team like the 49ers. His movement ability really is great, and with some finishing touches(see below), Willis could become a starter.
The Bad
Technique
This is mostly in pass protection. You'll see him overset and be upright, exposing his inside and strength. But will that matter with a move to the interior? And despite the strong run blocking, Willis will often be upright when moving, which, despite the good pop, doesn't make for a dominant run blocking rep.
Strength.
The arm length is obvious, but he won't be a tackle. Besides the anchor at tackle, is his core strength good enough, which does matter on the interior? Moving to the interior doesn't mean you can be weaker, you're seeing bigger people! Can Willis win the leverage battle on the interior?
The range of outcomes for Carver Willis is wide. The 49ers have a few options at their LG spot, and Willis is now one of them. If he impresses early in rookie minicamp and OTAs, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a chance to start at LG.
Now, Willis has also been working at center, or at least the snapping element, since the Senior Bowl. The 49ers do not have a player with center experience under contract for 2027. If the 49ers wanted Willis to be their future center, that would make sense, and he could take a bit of a redshirt year, getting scratched on game days.
Pick 139:
Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington
The 49ers added another CB this offseason, grabbing Ephesians Prysock out of Washington in Round 5, the second CB drafted out of UW.
2022 - Arizona: 16 tackles
2023 - Arizona: 61 tackles, 1 TFL, 7 PD, 1 INT
2024 - Washington: 45 tackles, 6 PD, 1 FF
2025 - Washington: 48 tackles, 1 TFL, 7 PD, 1 INT
More 2025 stats(via PFF):
39 receptions allowed (461 coverage snaps)
88.1 passer rating allowed
8.3 yards per reception allowed
14 run stops
Prysock's measurements:
6'3, 196lbs
33 1/8" arm length, 9 3/4" hands
4.45 40 yard dash (63rd percentile)
1.57 10 yard split (39th)
39" vertical jump (81st)
10'4 broad jump (62nd)
The Good
Size
Prysock has rare size for a CB. And, despite his slender looking frame, he's far from frail. His length and wingspan are hard to find, and it allows him to do things other CBs can't, like the advantage he gets in press coverage.
Movement skills
For his size, Prysock moves very fluid. I think it all stems from his hips, as he can stick with all types of routes. Even Prysock's make-up speed is good, as he's able to make up so much ground with his fluid hip flips and longer strides.
Line of scrimmage
Mostly in terms of his press coverage, Prysock can live comfortably at the line of scrimmage. While not a dominant press corner, Prysock's length and quick hips allow him to bother the receiver at the line without sacrificing any coverage ability. He mostly lived in press, and appeared comfortable doing so. While not physical, he can throw his body around to make tackles as well.
The Bad
Being upright
This may mostly be due to his size. But Prysock backpedals upright and can be exposed at the top of routes. Prysock also grabs a lot at the top of routes, and it could be because he's not low and in an "athletic stance."
Footwork
I mentioned how Prysock has the ability to press, but often is footwork/overall technique is imperfect. He can get caught lunging and not moving his feet, and gets beat off press. Again, he has size+hips to make up for it, but will that pass in the NFL? His feet also show up when breaking out on routes, often slipping. His feet aren't always under him.
Prysock is likely best in press, because it highlights his best attributes. But the 49ers rarely have their CBs in press, and Raheem Morris operates the same way. But Prysock's movement ability should work well in the 49ers defense, allowing his short field awareness to shine in underneath coverages. I do think Prysock will likely sit in Year 1, but if Renardo Green is on a short leash, Prysock may be the go-to replacement.
Pick 154:
Jaden Dugger, LB, Louisiana
The 49ers ended up with Pick 154 due to a trade down with Baltimore:
Picks 133 in exchange for Pick 154 + 2026 6th Round pick
With the pick the 49ers grabbed a former S in Jaden Dugger, another considered reach.
2022 - Georgetown: 17 tackles, 2 PDs
2023 - Georgetown: 41 tackles, 4 TFLs, 7 PDs, 1 INT, 1 FF
2024 - Louisiana: 37 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 PDs, 1 FF
2025 - Louisiana: 125 tackles, 13 TFLs, 4 sacks, 3 PDs, 1 INTs, 1 FF
More 2025 stats(via PFF):
10 pressures
52 run stops
Dugger's measurements (Pro Day):
6'4, 242lbs
35" arm length, 9 5/8" hands
4.61 40 yard dash
1.61 10 yard split
34 1/2" vertical jump
10'6 broad jump
4.45 20 yard shuttle
7.00 3 cone drill
The Good
Size
Dugger is a former safety that played LB for most of his time at Louisiana, and is a bigger person than the guy the 49ers drafted in the 2nd round to play edge rusher. Dugger's size will make his "transition" to LB easier, and also allow for versatility. He has the size to play on the line of scrimmage, and certainly the length.
Versatility
As mentioned, Dugger was a safety. So he's used to aligning all over the field. And with his size, Louisiana often used him on the line of scrimmage, in a stand-up edge position. Whether to rush the passer or just to show a different look, Dugger has experience playing all over the field.
Cover potential
His history at safety and improvement throughout the 2025 season could give Dugger the potential to actually play LB full-time in the NFL because he can cover. His length helps here too.
The Bad
Taking on blocks
These two "bads" will be intertwined. Dugger can get stuck when being attacked by a blocker, and can't get off of it. This kind of puts a damper on Dugger being able to play on the edge, where he'll be attacked in the run game often. He just doesn't currently possess a move to get off of blocks when he's not moving forwards.
Second level performance.
Again, intertwined. Dugger can get stuck on the second level and not affect the play. If. he's slow to recognize the running lane, which does happen, he gets blocked and can't get off.
There are a lot of things to be excited about with Jaden Dugger. The size, length, versatility, range, coverage, and being new to the position open up all types of possibilities. But at the NFL level, there's nothing to truly bank on. Which, to me, is fine for a 5th round pick. There are just a lot of inconsistencies. He's not the best at diagnosing where the running lane is. He has range as a tackler, but can't always finish the play.
I see the 49ers experimenting with Dugger, especially with Raheem Morris at DC. I would bet they want him to be a big SAM backer, one that can play near the line of scrimmage and even rush the passer, which he did showcase at Louisiana.
Pick 179:
Enrique Cruz Jr, OT, Kansas
The 49ers had Pick 179 due to a trade on Day 1 with the New York Jets(and Miami Dolphins).
Pick 30 in exchange for Picks 33 + 179
Here they added their second college offensive tackle of the draft, this time grabbing Cruz.
2021 - Syracuse: Redshirted
2022 - Syracuse: 3 starts at RT, 2 starts at LT
2023 - Syracuse: 12 starts at LT
2024 - Syracuse: 3 appearances
2025 - Kansas: 12 starts at RT, HM for All Big 12 team
More 2025 stats(via PFF):
(in 354 pass blocking snaps)
2 sacks allowed
4 QB hits allowed
16 pressures allowed
4 penalties
Cruz Jr's measurements:
6'5, 313lbs
33 3/4" arm length, 10 1/4" hands
4.94 40 yard dash (95th percentile)
1.74 10 yard split (79th)
35" vertical jump (97th)
9'8 broad jump (96th)
The Good
Grip strength
The big hands show up often. When Cruz gets his paws on his target, the rep is typically over. His core strength can show up here too, as he's not getting pushed off balance when he's in control.
Measurables
The athletic combine testing was incredible, even if it doesn't always directly translate to what you see on film. His length and size combination is fairly rare for a rookie tackle, especially one you can find in the 5th round. I would bet he sticks at tackle for this reason.
The Bad
Stiffness
And generally blocking on the move, often missing his target because he's just moving straight. His stiffness shows all the time. As I said in run blocking, but even in pass pro, he's just sliding around like a basketball drill. Not exactly a fluid mover.
Pass pro technique
The stiffness is apart of this. Cruz is very upright and only relies on his length. He reaches, and if he gets ahold of his guy, it's great. But there are no counters, or shutdown moves. He's just hoping his length and positioning win.
Enrique Cruz will have to fight to make the roster, with the 49ers having notable depth on the offensive line for the first time in years, but he does have the presence of OL coach Chris Foerster in his favor. I do think Cruz will stick at tackle because he doesn't seem like he can pull at an NFL level, and he has tackle size. I believe there is enough positives with Cruz to the point where it is worth developing him.
In an ideal world, this is the 49ers swing tackle until he replaces Colton McKivitz in two seasons, if McKivitz is not extended.
That was an analysis of Day 3 of the 49ers 2026 draft class, with Day 2 being done over the weekend.
Let me know your thoughts on the class, what you like about certain players, and who you think can play a role the quickest!
Stay tuned for more NFL and 49ers articles, news, and opinions!
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