Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, a projected first-round pick and the No. 25 player on The Athletic’s Big Board, has declared for the NFL Draft.
Grant joined forces with Mason Graham over the past three years to give Michigan one of the most dominant interior defensive lines in college football. Listed at 6 feet 3 and 339 pounds, Grant has unusual quickness and agility for his size, as he showed by chasing down Penn State running back Kaytron Allen from behind last season. He had a memorable sack of Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. in the College Football Playoff title game and closed his Michigan career on a high note in the Wolverines’ recent upset of Ohio State.
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Grant signed with Michigan as a three-star recruit from Merrillville, Ind., and quickly outplayed his recruiting ranking. After splitting snaps as part of a deep rotation last season, he showed he could handle a heavier workload while starting all 12 games as a junior. He finished his Michigan career with 69 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Grant is the fourth member of Michigan’s junior class to declare for the draft before Tuesday’s ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama, joining Graham, tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson. All four players are regarded as potential first-round picks.
Go Blue 4L💙 pic.twitter.com/Z46HuY2wHN
— Kenneth Grant (KG) 〽️ (@KennyGrant78) December 26, 2024
Analyzing Grant’s draft stock
A bear on wheels, Grant is arguably the most athletic big man in this class. With a nearly 30-inch vertical and a top GPS speed of nearly 18 miles per hour, the member of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List made several highlight-level tackles at Michigan simply by chasing down running backs from absurd angles.
This play from Kenneth Grant is just wild to watch.
This man is 6’3 340 LBS tracking down Kaytron Allen 🤯 pic.twitter.com/o3EUFbBsSu
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) November 11, 2023
An undiscovered gem at Michigan, Grant has improved every year he’s been in college and has been a problem for offenses in the run since his arrival. Grant’s pass rush is still a work in progress, as a lot of his wins are based purely on the fact he’s a better athlete than the player across from him. He doesn’t have power everywhere the way his teammate Graham does — and Grant has been able to work next to Graham, the best defensive tackle in college football, creating more opportunity.
Grant’s athleticism is first-round quality. Whether or not teams will be convinced his technique is ready to make an impact quickly remains to be seen. If he works out at the NFL Scouting Combine, it’ll be must-see television.
(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
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