Every year there are players in the NFL Draft whose combination of size and athleticism are awe inspiring.
Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant fits the billing, according to former NFL quarterback Brock Huard. Grant, who’s projected to go in the first round of the draft, was the subject of Huard’s Seattle Seahawks Draft Profile on Monday during Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
“(He’s) just one of these guys that when you watch a ton of tape and a ton of film over a college football season, as all of these scouts do, as all these personnel departments (and) analysts do as you get ready for games, you just see stuff that (is) not normal,” Huard said.
Huard recalled a play from Grant’s second season at Michigan as an example of his freakish athleticism. After cornerback Mike Sainristil (who is now in the NFL) intercepted a pass against Rutgers, the 6-foot-4, 331-pound Grant got in front of Sainristil to lead block on the return. Grant is No. 78 in the play below.
“(Sainristil is) taking it back and all of a sudden it’s like, what is that? Hold on a second. Is that Kenneth Grant running by him and next to him? It is,” Huard said. “… That was one of many different occasions where you just see a body type that is not supposed to be able to do what he does.”
A project who fits Seahawks roster
Grant was a two-time All-Big-Ten pick during his three seasons with the Wolverines and played a key role in their run to the national title during the 2023 season. In two years as a starter, he totaled 61 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and one interception. He was the 25th-ranked interior defensive lineman in the country last season in Pro Football Focus grading.
While Grant is projected to be a first-round pick, he might not be someone who makes a major impact right away. NFL Network insider and regular Brock and Salk guest Daniel Jeremiah shared why during an appearance on the show.
“He’s got as much ability as anybody in the draft. He doesn’t got it all together just yet,” said Jeremiah, who had the Seahawks picking Grant at No. 18 in his first mock draft. “… You’re not going to be getting year one what you’re going to be getting year three. You’re drafting him for year three.”
Huard feels that means the Seahawks could very well be a good landing spot for Grant. With Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and 2024 first-rounder Byron Murphy II all in the fold on the interior, Grant wouldn’t need to play a prominent role right away. Add in some more veteran experience up front in the form of edge players DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu, and Huard sees a veteran group that could help bring Grant along.
“I think you’ve got a great set of tools there,” Huard said.
He’s got some Cortez Kennedy to him
Grant posses 33 1/2-inch arms to go along with his 6-foot-4, 331-pound frame. A lot of that weight is in his upper body, which reminded Huard of a former teammate in Seattle: Hall of Fame defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy.
“Cortez was like two different humans stuck together. Like from the waist up, there was a lot of girth, and breadth, and size and a little bit of body fat, and then the legs were like a running back,” Huard said. “If you’ve ever seen Warren Sapp (another HOF D-tackle) in person, it’s the same thing. Like the waist up, there’s all this size, and breadth, and broad shoulders and mass, and then he’s got legs like a running back. That’s Kenneth Grant.”
Huard said Grant’s body type can cause some troubles in dealing with double teams, but it also helps him excel in one-on-one situations.
“When he gets a one-on-one and he gets underneath you, he is destructive,” Huard said.
