New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: DL Vernon Broughton, Texas

Vernon Broughton is a quick penetrator with excellent length and solid hand usage as a pass rusher.

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Vernon Broughton offers versatility as a three-technique or as a defensive end in an odd front.

---

---

Vernon Broughton, DL

• Height: 6’5” 
• Weight: 311 lbs
• Class: 5th-Year Senior
• School: Texas
• Hand Size: 9 ¼”
• Arm Length: 35”
• STATS

A former four-star recruit from Cy Ridge High School in Houston, Texas, where he was the 31st-ranked player from his state and the 18th defensive tackle during the 2020 recruiting cycle.

He missed six tackles in 2024, which was more than he missed in his entire college career. Still, the six tackles accounted for just 16.7%, which isn’t great, but he added 26 stops and 32 pressures as a disruptive pass rusher who can also defend the run well.

Broughton aligned 338 times over the B-Gap, 47 times on the inside over the A-Gap, 166 times over the tackle, and 37 times out wide. He provides some versatility with his alignment, although he likely won't play 1-T or nose at the next level.

---

---

Strengths

• Thick upper-body and midsection with excellent size and elite length 
• Good overall athlete with quality quickness off the snap
• Quick first step with solid ability to time the snap
• Very good closing burst and range as a rusher 
• Does well to get skinny though tight holes – good hand timing + body positioning 
• Good violent use of hands to separate 
• Has a detailed rush plan (swipes, clubs, arm-over, spin strings them together)
• Solid ability to effectively counter with purpose
• Gets his hips low with excellent lock out as a run defender
• Plays with good extension and solid eyes to see around contact
• Good overall play strength 
• Finishes with violence – competitive, tough player 

Vernon Broughton
pic.twitter.com/UE6YUk656s

— Draft Stacks (@NFLDraftStacks) April 20, 2025

Weaknesses

• Top-heavy build with narrow base
• Pad level gets too high leading to balance issues
• More of a one-gap penetrator than a two-gapping DL
• Good violence in his hands – he doesn’t exactly know what he’s doing with them yet
• Could discern blocking concepts quicker – does not process blocking scheme promptly 
• Only one year of over 400 snaps on defense
• Only one true year of production

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45) celebrates a quarterback sack in the third quarter as the Texas Longhorns play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semi-final. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Summary

Vernon Broughton is a quick penetrator with excellent length and solid hand usage as a pass rusher – he could stand to become more consistent with them, but the flashes are bright.

He’s a quality athlete with range and quickness, and he packages violence into his many pass-rushing moves.

He does a solid job sinking his hips and locking out as a run defender against base blocks, but gets overwhelmed when double-teamed. His strength is located in his upper body rather than his base, leaving his overall moves more dependent on his arms and hands than on his drive.

Broughton lacks the instincts of his teammate, Alfred Collins, when it comes to diagnosing and avoiding contact as a run defender.

Overall, Broughton adds defensive juice to a pass rush, and he’s no liability as a run defender; he will be a solid rotational defensive lineman with the ceiling to start. 

GRADE: 6.04

---

Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart | Nick Falato

---

---

New York Giants On SI Social Media

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Follow on Instagram.
• Check out the New York Giants on SI YouTube Channel.