Four games into the 2026 season, the 49ers’ rookie class is already giving the team a pretty clear early read. Some guys are flashing.
Some are lagging. A couple are barely on the field at all.
And a few have already turned their first month into something more interesting than expected.
The strongest early impression belongs to Halton. He’s logged 118 snaps, and among rookie interior rushers with at least 30 pass-rush snaps, he ranks third in both pressures and pass-rush win rate. That’s a rookie outperforming where he was drafted, plain and simple.
Dugger has also made his presence felt. As the 49ers’ starting SAM linebacker, he’s already up to 100 snaps and has eight tackles. The missed tackles are there, but so is the upside, and he’s clearly beating his draft projection this early in the year.
Height’s first month has been more uneven. He missed one game because of a broken hand and has played 101 total snaps, but the production hasn’t matched the opportunity.
Among rookies with at least 40 pass-rush snaps, he sits last in pressures and sixth of eight in pass-rush win rate. He’s getting on the field, just not cashing in on it.
Black started fast with 14 carries for 65 yards in Week 1, but the momentum hasn’t held. Since then, he’s totaled 17 carries for 55 yards. The 49ers are still getting strong work from Christian McCaffrey, but Black’s pace has cooled off.
Stribling has barely been involved at all, with just 21 snaps so far. At this point, the only fair label is incomplete. Even so, the early success of Denzel Boston looms over that pick, especially since Boston was ranked higher than Stribling before the draft and went right after him.
There’s also the rookie who hasn’t played, though that’s not quite the same as being forgotten. On one hand, that makes him an incomplete. On the other, he was beaten out by Connor Colby and lost the job in training camp.
Prysock, meanwhile, was never expected to see the field as a rookie.
In Other News...
49ers May Soon Regret Passing On A Raiders Ballhawk
The 49ers secondary continues to be a watch point, especially when a nearby rival is getting immediate returns from a rookie defensive back. Las Vegas cornerback Hezekiah Masses has opened his first season looking like the kind of ballhawk that can change field position in a hurry, while San Franciscos own cornerback addition, Ephesians Prysock, has yet to get into a game. It is the sort of comparison that gets sharper when a young defender is producing early and another is still waiting for his chance.
San Francisco will get a firsthand look at Masses in Week 9, when the 49ers meet the Raiders. For a team that has already invested in the cornerback room, this is one of those matchups that can linger beyond a single afternoon, because every early interception and every pass breakup from a rookie on the other sideline only adds to the question of what might have been. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Face A Division Test Seattle Has Been Waiting For
The Seahawks have had this one circled, and not just because the undefeated 49ers are rolling into Seattle for a Week 5 division test that could say plenty about the early shape of the NFC West. Rivalry games tend to come with extra layers, and this one is no different, with familiar faces and coaching connections giving both sides plenty of reasons to know each other well before kickoff.
There is also a clear sense that Seattle sees an opening to measure itself against the league's most confident opponent so far, especially with so many ties between the staffs and rosters over the past few seasons. The buildup has naturally invited plenty of speculation about how certain players might factor into the game and whether the Seahawks can turn familiarity into an edge, but the bigger question remains how much of a challenge San Francisco's unbeaten start can withstand on the road. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Draft Class Already Has One Worry Fans Can't Ignore
The 49ers 2025 draft class has already become a study in contrasts, with the early buzz giving way to a much rougher reality. Several of the teams key additions have been slowed by injuries, forcing San Francisco to lean harder on the rest of the rookie group than it likely expected when the class was assembled.
A few later selections have at least given the front office something to point to, with Upton Stout, Marques Sigle and Connor Colby all showing enough progress to work their way into starting roles. The bigger concern is at the top of the class, where the most highly regarded picks still do not offer the kind of steady contribution the 49ers were counting on, leaving this draft haul feeling far less settled than the team would have hoped. [Read more 🡒]