Gracen Halton Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Getty Images)

School: Oklahoma

Class: Senior

Position: DT

HT: 6’2

WT: 292 lbs

Background: Gracen Halton was a 4-star defensive lineman out of San Diego, California in the 2022 class. Halton played for St. Augustine High School, where he was both an offensive lineman and tight end. He had 20 TFLs and 5.5 sacks as a senior on his way to being named to the All-San Diego Team. Halton originally committed to Oregon before flipping to the Sooners on National Signing Day.

College: Halton was a reserve defensive tackle for the Sooners in 2022 and 2023, totaling 4.5 TFLs and 21 tackles in those two seasons combined. He became more of a contributor in 2024, making 30 tackles, 6 TFLs, and 5 sacks. 2025 was a similar year for Gracen on a CFP team, tallying 7 TFLs and 3.5 sacks.

Strengths: Gracen Halton is a nifty mover along the line of scrimmage. He moves like an edge rusher but has the mass to hold his own on the interior. Both his hands and legs are constantly working to find an angle to attack in order to get himself into the backfield. Even after his initial rush is stopped, he still works to find an opening on the counter rush. Halton is a defensive tackle who can make plays on the ball with offensive linemen latched onto him in the phone booth. He uses his active hands functionally to constantly deconstruct blocks, preventing his opponent from getting a grip on his pads. Once in the backfield, Halton takes good angles to the ballcarrier to cut off any potential plays. He moves well for his size and can keep up with quarterbacks to flush them to the boundary in pursuit.

Weaknesses: Halton does not play with a consistently low pad level. His base is far too narrow, resulting in him being unable to hold contain. He gets flushed out in the run game when he does not get under the pads and initiate contact. Halton does not have the length or the lateral agility to monitor multiple gaps simultaneously. He is forced to guess where a runner is going or to try and direct a runner a certain way, instead of taking away all rushing lanes.

Conclusion: Gracen Halton is a pass rushing defensive tackle who can get into the backfield in a variety of ways. Adjusting his lower body to get a wider base will serve him well against the run. He is still a technically raw player but flashes the tools to be one of the more well-rounded defensive tackles in this draft class.

Best Team Fits: CIN, DET, BUF

Player Comparison: Jaquelin Roy

Player Grade: Round 5 (58.8)