SANTA CLARA — Gracen Halton is a self-proclaimed underdog. The 49ers’ fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area for the “Meet the Rookies” series to share his mental approach to his football career.
“I’ve always been an underdog,” Halton said. “Whether it’s my height or all the stuff they say, but at the end of the day this is football. You got to put your head on somebody’s chin, and if you do that, then you are going to make some plays and do what you do.
“My saying is, ‘Underdogs prevail.’ So that’s my mindset.”
As the Oklahoma product begins his NFL career, it might not seem like Halton has faced adversity. But at the beginning of his college journey, things did not go smoothly. The athletic defensive end that previously had played quarterback, running back and tight end was asked to move inside to defensive tackle.
It wasn’t a quick transition for Halton, who had thought his path to the NFL would be as a pass rusher.
“You go into being a senior in high school and you want to play right...