Draft Profile: Kenneth Grant
Defensive Tackle. Michigan
6’3, 340 lbs.
Projected: First Round
There is no question that the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to add more youth to their defensive line. While Cam Heyward played amazingly this past season, he is getting closer and closer to retirement. The good news is that the 2025 NFL Draft has some serious depth and plenty of intriguing players in every round. They may even look to double dip at the position this coming April.
Finding Heyward’s eventual replacement is not the only spot needing attention. Larry Ogunjobi and Dean Lowry may both be cut candidates. Isiahh Loudermilk’s contract is expiring and he hasn’t shown the ability to be a starter. In this writer’s personal opinion, Keeanu Benton is playing out of position at Nose Tackle and could be moved from the middle to the outside.
Kenneth Grant out of Michigan has the typical nose tackle build. He is 6’3, and 340 pounds. (That’s 24.29 stone for our UK friends.) Throughout his college career he’s faced stiff competition and at times has shown dominance. Grant’s early projected draft position has been all over the map; some think late first/early second round. Others think he is a lock in the top 10. If he happens to be there at the 21st pick, will the Steelers run their card up? We shall see.
Strengths:
Grant is a big, strong defensive lineman. He has a great anchor which gives him the ability to take on double teams and be a clog in the middle. However he has shown some pass rush moves as well. For his size at 340 pounds he is very agile. Grant is expected to test very well at the NFL Combine which will of course increase his draft stock. His height gives him natural leverage and he has a good bull rush. Grant uses his hands well and is very powerful. He is only 21 years old, so he may still have upside despite already being a great player.
Weaknesses:
There’s honestly not a lot to dislike about Kenneth Grant’s game. He is a little bit inconsistent and may rise or fall to his level of competition. Grant came to Michigan weighing 360 pounds and his weight has fluctuated during his time there. This is something that he will need to keep a handle on and conditioning may be a factor in longer NFL seasons. I’m interested to see what his arm measurements are. It’s hard to tell when watching tape if he has shorter arms or is simply letting offensive linemen get into his pads a bit too much. He’s not quite as good against zone blocking and has limited range as a tackler as most huge defensive lineman will have. He may only be a two-down lineman.
How he fits:
As previously mentioned, the Steelers could use a dominant Nose Tackle to better utilize Keeanu Benton’s skillset. Grant could be the NFL’s next great one; he has the size, strength, and agility to be that guy. He stepped up big in the game vs. Ohio State, and if he can maintain that level of play over the course of an NFL season he’s well worth a first-round pick. His testing should be off the charts for his size. I have even read that some teams have Grant ranked higher than his teammate, Mason Graham who is a consensus top 10 prospect.
Player Comp:
When watching Kenneth Grant’s tape, I see a lot of similarities to Dexter Lawrence II’s game. They are both big, strong, and agile. Both have a great bull rush in their arsenal. Both players rack up coverage sacks/tackles because they don’t lose sight of quarterbacks as they start scrambling. While I understand this comparison is giving Grant big shoes to fill, I think he could have a similar impact for his team.
After the NFL Combine I am expecting that Kenneth Grant will rapidly rise to the top of draft boards. While nose tackles are generally considered more two-down players, Grant has the skillset to possibly be used in passing situations as well. Coaches and GM’s will see that you cannot coach that combination of size and athleticism that Grant possesses. Either they have it or they don’t. If for some reason Grant does happen to fall down to the 21st overall pick, the Steelers will have a huge (pun intended) decision to make. I mean, who doesn’t love an uber-athletic big man?
