Gracen Halton

Summary

Gracen Halton (22 years old) is an undersized DT who played his entire college career at the University of Oklahoma. Halton totaled 8.5 sacks across 47 collegiate games, while most of his impact came as a Senior when he became a full-time starter for the first time in his career. Halton served as a team captain in 2025 and posted 7 TFL and 3.5 sacks to go with 33 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, and 2 passes defensed. The San Diego native was selected to the 2026 Senior Bowl, where he measured in at 6024 and 293 lbs. with 31 3/4” arms and 9 5/8” hands. Halton was a tight end in high school and would be sent for red zone fades, demonstrating his prowess as an athlete.

Strengths

• Explosive Penetrator: Halton will pop off the tape regularly as an up-field penetrator against the run and pass. He was used on stunts and games regularly but posted an overall 11% career pass rush win rate.

• Motor: No signs of quit from whistle to whistle as Halton has made numerous plays in pursuit late in the down (see 2025 sack vs. Auburn).

• Rush Repertoire: For a player with limited starting experience, you see a slippery DT that has shown the ability to use a swim, rip, and even spin move on top of his natural power.

• Intangibly Rich: Selected as a team captain in 2025 despite never being a regular starter prior to his Senior season. “He’s made a decision. He wants to — he’s gonna do something. Really proud of him and all the work he’s put in,” OU Head Coach Brent Venables said about Halton. Oklahoma DC Zac Alley added that Halton is “a fantastic emotional, well-versed leader” for the Sooners.

Weaknesses

• Experience Starting: As stated, Halton has only started 10 games at the college level despite being a four-year player in Norman. and appearing in 47 games.

• Size Limitations: Teams will view it differently, but for teams that heavily value height, weight, length, and speed, Halton could be a tricky evaluation. At under 300 lbs and with sub-32” arms, certain decision makers will take that into heavy consideration.

• Pad Level: For a player who is on the shorter side for DT’s, Halton will stand up and get too tall at times. He’s a player with natural leverage, and must do a better job of consistently using that in the run and pass game.

• Scheme Limitations: Halton will mostly be viewed as a penetrating 3-technique at the NFL by evaluators. Teams that want their DT’s to play two gaps or are looking for a player with more alignment versatility will likely look at other players before Halton.

Outlook

Like any player, beauty will be in the eye of the beholder. Scheme and scouting thresholds will play a heavy role in teams’ evaluations of Halton. For teams that have no issue with his size and have a plan to use him largely as a 3-technique, he will likely be a coveted mid-round pick. Overall, Halton profiles as a Kobie Turner-type of prospect as his upside. Turner was also a 6’2” and sub-300 lb. DT whose tape stood out above his measurables. With Halton’s character, work ethic, attitude, and ability to impact the run and pass, he should at a minimum find a home in a defensive line rotation for years to come.

Pro Comparison: Kobie Turner (upside)

Team Fits: JAX, LV, HOU, DET, CHI