There are many names to know for the 2026 NFL Draft, but the endless list of players can be narrowed down to those who have a fitting skillset for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton could be on that short list. Let’s take a closer look at the Halton:
Background
Halton was a big-time recruit who had offers from many major schools like Miami, Michigan, Penn State and Texas. Halton decided to attend the University of Oklahoma, playing under arguably the best defensive head coach in college
football, Brent Venables.
Halton wasn’t a starter in his first two seasons, but he began flashing impressive play as a junior. He was a rotational player, but he did have five sacks and six tackles for loss. He put it all together in his senior year, becoming a second-team All-SEC defender. He had seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks with seven hurries as well.
Halton’s size is a concern, as he is shorter than 6 feet 3 inches tall, under 300 pounds, with sub-32-inch arms. His athleticism attempts to overcome those disadvantages. He ran a 4.83-second 40-yard dash with a wild 1.7-second 10-yard split. He also jumped 36.5 inches in the vertical jump and 9 feet 6 inches in the broad jump.
Strengths
Halton is a slippery pass rusher who wins most with speed. His shorter frame makes it easier for him to get underneath the punch of guards. Halton also has impressive body control and bend in his lower half, maximizing his already-low pad level. Guards have a hard time latching onto Halton since he plays with a low center of gravity.
Halton’s explosiveness, combined with his body control, makes him an intriguing pass rusher. His first step is elite. He can quickly knife into the backfield and blow up plays. Halton will take chances to make big plays, and when it works, the payoff is valuable.
His lateral agility also shows up on twists. To play for defensive playcaller Brent Venables, you have to be laterally explosive. Venables loves designing exotic pressures. It puts a lot on his defensive linemen to have the speed and agility to quickly get across gaps before the ball gets out.
Halton was a great fit in that scheme. He can slide two or three gaps over and still get pressure because his lateral explosiveness is elite. When he gets over to those gaps, he can slip underneath blocks and turn upfield.
Oklahoma also uses stunts to mess with the eyes of offensive linemen when run blocking, and Halton was a great fit for that. He can be the “spear”, or the player clearing space for a defensive lineman to work behind him. He won’t move blockers out of their gap with his spear, but he can slip between blockers and get into the backfield. He is also quick enough to be the looper behind the spear. He can get back to the gap in time to make a tackle.
Where Halton Needs to Improve
If Halton is on the field, the team will be sacrificing some run defense. Halton just doesn’t have the frame or mass to take on blocks consistently. When Halton faces double teams or downhill blocks, he can struggle to hold up.
Whoever drafts Halton will have to find ways to account for this. The NFL team will have to scheme stunts and slants to get him upfield. Halton will need to prove he can consistently beat NFL guards to the spot in run defense to justify having a team doing that. Slants and stunts can create impactful run stuffs, but they can also hurt a defense’s gap integrity and leave the unit vulnerable to big runs.
One thing that could help Halton is playing 4i or 5 technique on run downs. A 4i technique is the inside shoulder of a tackle, while a 5-technique is right off the outside shoulder. With this shade, his double teams would come from a tight end and a tackle. That would be easier for him to navigate. He would need to have some pass rush juice from that spot, and that appears to be there. He’s explosive and slippery enough to potentially make that work, but it’s a projection.
How he fits with the Chiefs
While I enjoy watching Halton, I will admit that his fit with defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott is questionable. Norman-Lott is more of a penetrating 1-technique than a three-technique, but you wouldn’t be able to play him and Halton on most downs. Combined, the two don’t have the size to defend the run. They could only play together in obvious passing situations.
In those scenarios, they should play well off each other. Both are explosive and slippery pass rushers who can get upfield and blow up plays. They could run stunts with each other since they can both spear and loop around each other.
The Bottom Line
Even though I like Halton, if Norman-Lott is healthy and the Chiefs believe in giving him a big role, then Halton doesn’t make as much sense for the team.
The question is whether Kansas City should be relying on Norman-Lott. Norman-Lott was a rotational pass rusher in college who played 15-20 snaps per game. In his limited time as a rookie, he didn’t flash too many positive moments. Then, he tore his ACL and is now coming off that injury.
Norman-Lott should come back healthy and contribute, but if he can’t, the Chiefs have to find more depth at defensive tackle. Starters Chris Jones and Khyris Tonga are a great start, but the depth behind them is bleak.
The Chiefs need a backup to Jones who can help rush the passer, and Halton’s one of the only three-techniques in the draft who can do that. He would be on my shortlist of options at pick No. 74.
