One prospect the Broncos may have interest in during the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft is Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton. He is a 6-3, 293-pound defensive lineman who is considered one of the better interior pass rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft. Halton is coming off a productive year for Oklahoma and improved his draft stock after an impressive showing at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Halton played a total of four seasons at Oklahoma and was a key member of their defense these past few seasons. During his four-year career, he appeared in 47 games and totaled 84 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss, 8.5 sacks, 2 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles. This past year, he appeared in 13 games and totaled 33 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble.
The Broncos lost veteran pass rusher John Franklin-Myers to free agency this offseason and could look to the draft to replace him. They did draft Sai’vion Jones in the third round last season, but you can never have enough interior pass rushers, and Halton would give them another high-effort pass rusher to rotate in to get after the quarterback.
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Player Profile
Gracen Halton | Interior Defensive Line | Oklahoma
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Arm Length: 31 1/8 inches
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10-Yard Split: 1.7 seconds
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Vertical Jump: 36.5 inches
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3-Cone Drill: 8.09 seconds
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20-Yard Shuttle: 4.79 seconds
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
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Explosive first step and can quickly get into the backfield
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Has a good swim move he uses to quickly get by a blocker
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High-Motor and doesn’t give up on a play
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Rangy player who is able to run down ball carriers on the edge and in the backfield
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Has a strong initial punch, which helps him get into the backfield quickly
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Effective stunt/twist plays and uses his athleticism to get after the passer
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Improved vs. the run game as a senior
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A relentless pass rusher with good speed and profiles as an effective rotational pass rusher
Weaknesses
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An undersized defensive lineman who has shorter arms than you would prefer
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Struggles against double teams and anchoring vs. the run game
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While he improved vs. the run game, he likely will struggle vs. stronger guards in the NFL
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Profiles as a third-down/sub-package only interior pass rusher
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His agility testing numbers were surprisingly poor
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A scheme-dependent player
What other analysts are saying about Oklahoma DT Gracen Halton
NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on Oklahoma IDL Gracen Halton
An undersized 3-technique with disruptive attributes, Halton is best suited for a rotational role in a movement-based front. 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. He’s an energetic, gap-to-gap rusher who can threaten guards on their edges or play his role as an effective twister. Finding the right scheme fit will be critical for Halton in the NFL.
DT Gracen Halton’s RAS
Should the Broncos draft Oklahoma DT Gracen Halton in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft?
You can never have enough interior pass rushers.
At the end of the day, how they feel about Sai’vion Jones will dictate whether they will select a defensive lineman. He was a developmental player who didn’t play a ton last season and is someone who will take a big jump in year two. However, that’s not a guarantee to happen, and you should always invest in your trenches.
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The Broncos have Malcolm Roach, DJ Jones, and Eyioma Uwazurike as their run-stopping specialists, with Zach Allen being great at everything. With JFM no longer with the Broncos, Sai’vion Jones could fill his role, but adding a player like Halton would give them another option to use on third downs. His ability to quickly get after the passer would fit right in with the Broncos’ defense, and he could thrive with all the talent around him. Defenses will be focusing on Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, Jonathon Cooper, and everyone else, which should leave him one-on-one with a guard with the ability to win quickly.
I like the potential.
Now, he is undersized with shorter arms than you would like from the position, so Vance Joseph and his coaches will need to feel comfortable with that.
At the end of the day, Halton may not be my first choice for the Broncos in the second round, but I would not be upset if they added another interior pass rusher to their NFL-leading pass rush unit. As I said, you can never have enough interior pass rushers.
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