Vernon Broughton NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Texas DL

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 311

HAND: 9¼” 

ARM: 35” 

WINGSPAN: 83⅞”

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POSITIVES

— Good size with excellent arm length for an NFL defensive tackle.

— Has the strength at the point of attack to gain control of the block and create stalemates at the line of scrimmage.

— Can lock out guards and get plenty of extension with long arms to help shed blocks when he keeps his hands tight.

— Takes on blocks with a sturdy base and is hard to move with one-on-one base blocks.

— Solid at anticipating double-teams and combo blocks to get skinny and occasionally split the blockers.

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NEGATIVES

— Plays with high pad level and lacks explosion off the line of scrimmage to be an effective bull-rusher. 

— Doesn’t use his hands well and isn’t quick-twitched enough to be an effective pass-rusher with finesse moves.

— Hand placement is often wide versus the run, exposing his chest.

— Plays high and struggles to sink his hips to avoid getting washed inside against down blocks.

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NOTES

— 4-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— 2021; Academic First-Team All-Big 12

— 2020; Academic All-Big 12 rookie team

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OVERALL

Vernon Broughton certainly looks the part of an NFL defensive tackle with impressive size and great arm length. That helps him be a good run defender, as he’s stout at the point of attack and uses his long arms to help get extension on blocks. He’s hard to move one-on-one and has shown the ability to occasionally split double-teams.

However, Broughton lacks upside as a pass-rusher. He isn’t a good bull-rusher, doesn’t have the twitch and use of hands to be effective with finesse moves, and needs to rush with a better plan. That will likely cap his ceiling in the NFL.

With that said, the Texas product is a good target as a late Day 3 pick for a team looking for a 3-technique defensive tackle to add some depth to its interior run defense.

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GRADE: 6.0 (Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 210

POSITION RANK: DL20

PRO COMPARISON: Da’Shawn Hand

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder