Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.

Defensive line might be the Steelers biggest offseason need in 2025. Could Michigan’s Kenneth Grant be the answer in the first round?

Position: Defensive line

Class: Junior

Size: 6’4, 331

Age: 21

Projected draft round: 1

Stats via Sports Reference

Grant is a massive interior lineman who was featured heavily in the Michigan defensive line rotation in 2024. Alongside projected top-10 pick Mason Graham, he helped form one of the top defensive tackle duos in the nation (Grant is No. 78 in all clips).

Grant weighed in at 331 pounds at the NFL Combine, but he was listed closer to 340 in 2024 at Michigan and was 256 pounds his freshman season in 2022. Grant unfortunately didn’t participate in Combine testing, but his athleticism has never been in question. He’s an impressive linear mover for a player his size:

As you’d expect, Grant is a plus run defender who played a lot on early downs for Michigan. He has the size and strength to hold up against double teams, but the athleticism to disrupt behind the line of scrimmage. He can play anywhere from nose to 3-tech comfortably.

Despite his size, Grant’s game is unfortunately marred by inconsistencies. He often has a high pad level coming off the ball and offensive linemen are able to take advantage of his lack of leverage.

He’s not the immovable object against the run you’d hope, with teams having a lot of success opening up lanes with double teams against him. However, Grant clearly has the ability to develop a more true nose tackle skill set, where he has a lot of upside with the right coaching.

As a rusher, Grant is similarly inconsistent but he has a lot of flashes, especially when left one-on-one. He has an immensely powerful bull rush that can quickly collapse pockets and blow up plays.

His explosion off the ball could get a bit sluggish at times, but every now and then Grant would come out of the blocks in a hurry and wreck the offense’s plans.

And when his rushes did stall, Grant was excellent at making a play on the ball:

Overall, Grant’s game is still fairly raw, but his size and athleticism give him a high floor even if his technique could still use some work defending both the run and pass. If he can play with a lower center of gravity more consistently and add to his arsenal of pass-rush moves, he could develop into a dominant lineman at the NFL level. I’d give him a late first, early second-round draft grade, but Grant’s potential could push him up boards.

Strengths

Massive, and a freak athlete for his size
Powerful bull rush when one-on-one
Strong upper half can toss linemen out of his way
Strength to anchor against double teams more consistently
Gets hands up versus the pass

Weaknesses

Isn’t consistently explosive off the snap
Plays too high far too often, nullifying size advantage
Hand usage is inconsistent
Linear player; tackling radius isn’t great
Developmental player who won’t be an every-down contributor

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

Grant is a broad-bodied nose tackle whose tape can run hot and cold depending on the game and the types of blocks he’s facing. He struggles to anchor when hit with down blocks due to his narrow base and tall pads, but he uses his power and length to beat single blocks and split double teams when he finds the crease. He had some sack production in college, and we could see him improve in that area once he learns to create more rush space with his hands. Grant’s game will finally come together in full when he’s able to take his impressive physical attributes and impose his will on opponents.

The Draft Network

Grant is a naturally gifted and highly talented defender. He projects as a high-upside interior defensive lineman capable of aligning in multiple positions within even or odd fronts. His ability to collapse the pocket as a pass rusher, combined with his dominance against double teams, provides the foundation for him to become a game-changing presence in the NFL. With continued development, particularly in pad level and conditioning, Grant has the tools to thrive as a premier defensive line prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. Prospect Projection: Day 1 — Pro Bowl Caliber

Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team

Grant projects best as an A-gap defender in the NFL. He has versatility in whether he’s playing in gap penetration or gap control fronts; he should be considered a transcendent option to play in odd or even fronts. His ability to anchor and reset will be a valuable cog to any team’s run defense, and Grant should be afforded the opportunity to develop more as a pass rusher. I would keep his playing weight north of 320 and lean into his dominant power and natural athleticism at that stature; it is more than enough to win at the next level in the roles he’s filling at Michigan.

If it comes down to Oregon’s Derrick Harmon in the first round or Grant, I’d lean Harmon, who I feel has the better overall body of work coming out of college and projects as a possible Cam Heyward replacement down the road.

Grant wouldn’t be a bad pick either, and he could take over at nose tackle for the Steelers, allowing Keeanu Benton to slide out to his natural position of defensive end and give Pittsburgh a strong line in base 3-4. However, Grant still has the versatility to contribute in the Steelers’ two-down-linemen sets.

Grant has all the tools to dominate at the NFL level, and while his technique and consistency still need some work, adding a 330-plus pound behemoth with good athleticism to the center of Pittsburgh’s line should be a big plus to the run defense, and I was consistently impressed with his upside as a pass-rusher.

TL;DR: Grant is a huge, athletic interior D-line prospect with the look of an elite run stuffer in his NFL future. He has the explosiveness and power to collapse pockets as a pass-rusher, and if he can improve his leverage and technique, he could be a Pro Bowl-caliber starter at the next level.

What are your thoughts on Michigan DL Kenneth Grant? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!