Feb. 22, 2026, 3:17 p.m. CT
The Unpacking FuturePackers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who theGreen Bay Packers could select in the 2026 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers need to get more impact from the interior of their defensive line. Devonte Wyatt, who only played in 10 games this season, led the defensive tackle group with four sacks and tied for the clubhouse lead with six tackles for loss.
The rest of the defensive tackles combined for one sack and seven tackles for loss. Karl Brooks led the position group with 25 pressures. Wyatt recorded 22 pressures before suffering a season-ending injury. The rest of the group combined for just 30 pressures. It’s a group that has a bunch of sidekicks to the sidekick.
A prospect that the Packers could target in the third or fourth round in the 2026 NFL Draft is Gracen Halton. The Oklahoma defensive tackle checks in at No. 65 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A four-star recruit out of California, Halton recorded one tackle for loss during his first season on campus. In 2023, Halton recorded 3.5 tackles for loss. The following season, Halton recorded six tackles for loss and five sacks.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
This past season, Halton became a full-time starter for the Sooners and responded with seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
“Gracen played his best season of football in 2025,” Carson Field, a reporter for Sooners on SI, said. “He was a constant disruptor and was particularly dominant at stopping the run. I’d argue that he was the most consistent player on Oklahoma’s stout defensive line.”
At 6-2, 293, Halton is powerfully built. He has violent hands and his counters have counters. To go along with that power, Halton has good initial quickness off the snap to quickly get upfield and collapse the integrity of the pocket. Over the past two seasons, Halton has recorded 8.5 sacks and 59 pressures.
“Halton seems to put constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks,” Field said. “His explosiveness helps him break through and apply steady pressure. The most notable example of this was against South Carolina. He seemed to always be in LaNorris Sellers’ face that game. He is somewhat limited, however, if he picks up a double team, due to his size.”
Halton is flexible and stays balanced through contact. His explosiveness off the snap helps him wiggle through gaps to disrupt the action in the backfield. He’s incredibly slippery. The Sooner defensive tackle covers a lot of ground laterally and he recorded a career-high 19 run stops this past season to go along with his career-high seven tackles for loss.
“Even though he’s somewhat undersized, Halton’s explosiveness allows him to shed blocks fairly effortlessly,” Field said. “He’s also really good at finishing tackles. It’s worth noting how many good running backs the Sooners faced this year, whether that’s Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy, Michigan’s Justice Haynes or Auburn’s Jeremiah Cobb. Halton played exceptionally against each of them.
Fit with the Packers
The Packers need more active players on the interior of the defensive line. Halton has the quickness and power to develop into an interior disruptor.
“Halton has great upside, and he’s fairly agile for a defensive tackle,” Field said. “His steady improvement is encouraging, as many college defensive tackles peak too early. I firmly believe that Halton is one of the more underrated players in this draft class and will be a low-risk, high-reward type of player.”
Adding Halton to the mix would give Green Bay’s interior pass rush a much-needed shot in the arm. They need a wrecking ball-type player along the interior, and Halton has the ability to cause chaos as a pass rusher. He’d also help create more negative plays against the run.