Gracen Halton NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for San Francisco 49ers DT

Matt HolderDec 18, 2025

The San Francisco 49ers selected Oklahoma DT Gracen Halton with the No. 107 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Gracen Halton is an impressive athlete who can contribute as an interior pass-rusher in the NFL. He has the agility and quickness to be effective on stunts/line games and has shown a swim move that he can win with. However, Halton likes to play a finesse game at a violent position.

The 6'3", 293-pound defensive lineman went to Oklahoma as a 4-star recruit in the 2022 class. He played sparingly during years one and two in Norman before becoming a rotational player/spot starter as a junior. That season, he logged 30 tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles.

Halton made a few more starts in 2025 but was still in more of a rotational role on the Sooners' defensive line. He posted 33 tackles, seven TFLs, 3.5 sacks, two passes defended and one FF this season. That was enough to earn second-team All-SEC honors.

Matt Holder has been a part of B/R's Scouting Department for four seasons. He also writes about the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL draft for SB Nation's Silver and Black Pride, and co-hosts a YouTube Channel, Tape Don't Lie, providing film breakdowns and more draft prospect analysis.

Highlights

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Where He Wins

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- Halton shows good overall quickness and athleticism for an interior defensive lineman.

- Quickness and agility allow him to be an effective looper in line games, testing opposing offensive linemen's reaction times and taking efficient paths to the quarterback.

- Has show a solid swim move that he can win with as a pass-rusher.

- Good motor as a pass-rusher to get coverage/clean up sacks.

- Impressive upper body strength and pop in his hands to stun offensive linemen when he uses his hands to take on blocks against the run.

Areas of Improvement

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- Halton lacks the ideal length for an NFL defensive tackle, measuring in just under 6'3" and with short arms.

- Often false steps out of his stance, leading to inefficient initial footwork.

- Late to recognize reach blocks, frequently getting scooped out of his gap despite the impressive movement skills.

- Plays high and takes on blocks with a narrow base, causing him issues anchoring against double teams/combos, base blocks from stronger offensive linemen and down blocks.

- Pad level issues also make it difficult for him to consistently collapse the pocket when bull rushing.

- Accuracy with his hands as a pass-rusher is inconsistent; he'll often miss with his initial chops and has issues playing the offensive lineman's hands.