Vernon Broughton 2025 NFL Draft: Texas DT Scouting Report
In this talented 2025 NFL Draft class, a standout defensive tackle to note is Vernon Broughton. He’s a physical DT from Texas with a high motor. Today, we’ll break down his NFL outlook with this in-depth expert scouting report. Additionally, we will be breaking down his strengths, areas for improvement, and his potential draft grade.
Vernon Broughton 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Broughton enters the 2025 NFL Draft as a fifth-year senior who has steadily developed into a reliable and versatile presence along the Texas defensive line. A former four-star recruit, Broughton’s career arc reflects patience and growth, transitioning from a rotational piece behind NFL-caliber talents like Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat to a full-time starter in 2024.
Furthermore, Broughton had a breakout year during his senior season. Notably, highlighted by key performances in the SEC Championship run. Overall, he proved that he’s a player with intriguing tools and untapped potential. At his size, Broughton possesses a prototypical frame for an interior lineman, blending length, power, and athleticism that should translate to the next level with proper development.
HT: 6050
WT: 311
HAND: 1028
ARM: 3378
40: 4.95
Strengths:
- Physical Tools: Broughton’s combination of size and length gives him a natural advantage at the point of attack. His long levers allow him to stack blockers effectively and maintain gap control against the run.
- Run Defense: A stout anchor who excels in two-gap scenarios, Broughton consistently holds his ground against single blocks and shows the upper-body strength to shed and disengage. He’s capable of eating double teams, freeing up linebackers to make plays.
- Versatility: Aligned across the interior line (3-tech, 4i) and occasionally as a 5-tech in Texas’ pro-style defense, Broughton’s experience in multiple roles enhances his scheme fit at the next level.
- Motor and Instincts: He plays with a high effort level, pursuing plays sideline-to-sideline and showing good awareness of blocking schemes. Broughton’s fumble recovery totals show his knack for being around the ball.
- Breakout Production: Stepped up in 2024 with nearly half his career snaps, demonstrating an ability to capitalize on the increased opportunity with disruptive plays in big moments (e.g., Texas A&M, SEC Championship vs. Georgia).
Areas for Improvement:
- Pass Rush Refinement: While Broughton flashes explosiveness off the snap and a decent array of moves (club-swim, two-hand swipe), his pass-rushing arsenal lacks polish. He relies too heavily on his initial burst rather than a consistent plan to convert speed to power or counter blockers.
- Pad Level: Tends to play upright, negating some of his leverage advantage and making him vulnerable to being washed out by double teams or driven back by powerful linemen.
- Lower-Body Drive: Despite his size, Broughton’s anchor is more upper-body reliant, and he lacks the leg churn to collapse the pocket or finish tackles in space consistently.
Consistency: Production doesn’t fully match his athletic traits, suggesting he’s still developing the instincts to dominate snap-to-snap. - Missed tackles in the backfield highlight a need for better finishing technique.
Late Bloomer: At 24 years old by his rookie season, Broughton’s developmental curve raises questions about his ceiling compared to younger prospects with similar physical profiles.
Conclusion:
All in all, Broughton profiles as a developmental early Day 3 pick. Additionally, he has the potential to carve out a role as a rotational interior lineman. His best fit is a 3-technique in a 4-3 defense or a 5-technique in a 3-4 scheme, where his run-stopping ability and length can be maximized. While he lacks the elite twitch or pass-rush upside to be a three-down starter early in his career, his frame and flashes of disruption suggest he could grow into a dependable backup with starter upside in the right system.
Teams like the Denver Broncos, who have reportedly shown interest, may see him as a mid-round value pick to bolster their trenches. Broughton is similar to Javon Hargrave (early career) – Similar size and run-stuffing ability with flashes of pass-rush potential, though Broughton needs time to refine his game to reach Hargrave’s level of impact.
Overall, Broughton is a high-floor, moderate-ceiling prospect whose physical tools and late-season surge make him an intriguing project for a defensive line coach willing to invest in his technical growth. His journey from overlooked depth player to SEC standout reflects a work ethic that could pay dividends in the pros.
Round Grade: 4th Round
Stats: Per Sports Reference
| Season | Team | G | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sk | PD | FR |
| 2020* | Texas | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Texas | 12 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022* | Texas | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023* | Texas | 14 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024* | Texas | 16 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Career | 56 | 39 | 31 | 13 | 6.5 | 3 | 4 |
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