BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 09: Michigan Wolverines DL Kenneth Grant (78) warms up prior to a college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and Indiana Hoosiers on November 9, 2024 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Defensive Tackle Kenneth Grant Can Take Over Games

March 1, 2025 | Daniel Kelly | Articles

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ANN ARBOR, MI – NOVEMBER 23: Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) celebrates after a defensive play during the first quarter of a regular season Big Ten Conference college football game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines on November 23, 2024 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant played in three modes during the 2024 season; beast, snooze, and double team. All three modes are just as they sound. Grant was unblockable at times. The rest of the reps he was out there playing paddy-cake with solo blockers or those double teams neutralized him.

It’s the beast mode that captures my imagination.

If I had to put percentages to it, after studying every snap Grant played last season, this would be my breakdown:

Beast mode 25%

Snooze mode 25%

Double-teamed 50%

I chicken-scratched 82 times he was double-teamed on passing plays in my notes. He took on more double teams than probably anyone I’ve evaluated. However, seeing Grant in snooze mode was new for me. That didn’t show up in his 2023 film. The Wolverines rotated him in the lineup in 2024. He also wasn’t on as good of a team this past season either. The Wolverines finished 8-5 in 2024 after winning the National Championship the season prior.

He didn’t look as motivated.

A cross between Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis

I put a pre-draft Hall of Fame Grade on Carter and a fifth-round grade on Davis (both defensive tackles on the Eagles). Carter has the rare power of a defensive tackle and the quickness of an edge rusher blowing up the middle. Davis is as easy to move around the room as the kitchen stove. Together, they’re special and they form the soul of this year’s Super Bowl championship defense. It’s just too much for opposing interior offensive lines to deal with.

Grant is a mix of both.

Raw

This is the scariest part about projecting Grant. He looks unpolished on tape. I mean when he “flashes,” his signature lightning-quick swim move, he gets into the pocket like he was sent Federal Express.

The only problem ⎯he doesn’t use it much.

Why?

I don’t know, because if he did, he would go top-5.

While Grant shows he can put centers and guards on skates once in a blue moon; he’s devastating when he can get into the gaps and throw his weight around.

Production

On defensive series when he wasn’t in for all three downs, Michigan tended to insert him into the lineup on third downs. Per Pro Football Focus, Grant played in 329 pass plays and 217 run plays.

Pass rushing stats:

3 sacks
1 hit
23 hurries
5 batted passes

Run defense:

32 total tackles
18 solo tackles
7 tackles for loss

NFL Projection

I pay close attention to NFL.com, because they have their ears up to war rooms across the league. Based on their most recently published team needs pre-free-agency, defensive tackle is listed as a high priority on the following nine teams:

Jets (No. 7)
Panthers (No. 8)
49ers (No. 11)
Dolphins (No. 13)
Cardinals (No. 16)
Chargers (No. 22)
Vikings (No. 24)
Bills (No. 30)
Chiefs (No. 31)

The teams in bold are in my value range for Grant.

#78 Kenneth Grant 6-foot-3, 339 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Final NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 73.6% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of March 1, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Kenneth Grant: Force of Nature (2023: 13 games evaluated)

2024 game film evaluated: Fresno State, Texas, Arkansas State, USC, Minnesota, Washington, Illinois, Michigan State, Oregon, Indiana, Northwestern, and Ohio State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

NFL comp: Dan Wilkinson

Note: Former NFL Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale was his Defensive Coordinator at Michigan in 2024

Note: Got handled vs. Texas

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

An inconsistent effort defensive playmaker with elite athleticism for his size. Massive. Thick thighs. Long arms. Quick hands. Natural dominant equally distributed natural strength. Movement achieved at the snap varies from 1-10. Best with leverage. Above average playing speed. Pass rush tools flashed: swim, spin, and rip moves. Change of direction slightly labored. A limited area-run defender who flashed some chase. Inconsistent shed. Has it in him to fight for tackles and assists. Hard sure tackler. Production didn’t match traits in 2024.

Final words

Can take over games is the key phrase.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.