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SANTA CLARA — For the fifth year in a row, Trent Williams donned street clothes and observed a new defensive coordinator install his scheme in the 49ers’ first preseason game.What stood out to the veteran left tackle wasn’t any of the new tricks Raheem Morris is bringing to San Francisco’s system.It was a new, big body in the middle of it.“Boomer Sooner.
Gracen Halton, you know it,” said Williams, who preceded the Niners’ fourth-round rookie defensive tackle in Norman, Oklahoma, by a decade and a half.For all the excitement around De’Zhaun Stribling after the rookie receiver’s debut showing, Halton generated about as much buzz on the defensive side of the ball in the preseason opener.“Obviously he’s an Oklahoma guy, so I’m a little biased,” Williams continued with a smile.“But I think the world kind of sees what he has to offer.
Very explosive.Really powerful.
… He definitely impressed.”Morris didn’t have much of the personnel that will make up the defense that takes the field next month in Melbourne, Australia.But he did get a chance to debut a new playbook that has added a fresh twist on a defensive system under Kyle Shanahan that, despite the turnover of coordinators, hadn’t deviated much from its standard 4-3, cover-two base package.Overall, Morris said he was “very pleased” with the first look at his new defense.“A lot of young guys making plays,” Morris said.
“Left a couple things open.Got to correct some things.
But got the nerves out of the way.The guys played fast.
A lot of young guys got the chance to go out there and play well.… I was really fired up about all those guys.”Nobody played more snaps than Ephesians Prysock, who was on the field for 87% of the defensive plays.
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