Yes, another player to beef up the defensive interior.
The mock drafts are in full force now that the college football season is over and we’re just a month out from the NFL combine. Get used to mock draft talk around here, because this is yet another important one for the Seattle Seahawks.
Conventional thinking suggests that Seattle needs to improve its offensive line. Longtime NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah is going the other way and picking another defensive player for the Seahawks. This would be three straight seasons of Seattle using its first pick on defense, something that has never happened under John Schneider.
Here’s his brief explanation for picking Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant:
Mike Macdonald looks back to his old stomping grounds at Michigan to select Grant, who would be part of a great interior trio with Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II. Keep in mind that Jarran Reed and Johnathan Hankins are headed for free agency.
Now to rewind just a bit, here’s some transparency on how Jeremiah makes his mock drafts:
I tend to base my mock drafts on what I’m hearing around the league, whereas my Top 50 prospect rankings reflect what I’m seeing during my own evaluations. Keep an eye out for those rankings in the days ahead, but for now, here is my first look at how the top 32 selections could play out when the draft gets underway on April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
We’re still in January and the Shrine and Senior Bowls haven’t even happened yet. There will be stock risers, stock fallers, medical red flags, bad interviews, good interviews, etc. that will affect the draft in due time. That isn’t to ignore what teams do in free agency that reshape their draft needs.
Grant was All-American third-team in his final season at Michigan, as well as a two-time All-Big Ten second-team selection over the past two years. While Grant was never coached by Mike Macdonald, who left the year before Grant’s freshman season, he did win a national championship in 2023.
We’ll get Grant’s official height and weight listed in due time but he’s unofficially 6’3 and just about 340 pounds, which would make him the heaviest player on the Seahawks defense. Johnathan Hankins is listed at 335 lbs but he’s also a free agent and unlikely to return to Seattle.
Over three seasons, Grant recorded 6.5 sacks, 10 passes defensed, an interception, and three passes defensed. He’s not as heralded as his teammate, Mason Graham, but he’s considered one of the top defensive tackles in the draft.
Here’s a brief scouting report summary from Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder:
Kenneth Grant is a massive defensive tackle who can be a gap-filler against the run.
He has pop in his hands to win at the point of attack and gain control of the block. That, combined with a sturdy base, makes him very difficult to move one-on-one and decent against double teams. He might concede a yard when taking on combo blocks, but he can dig his heels in the ground to avoid getting pushed too far down the field or out of his gap.
Grant’s biggest issue as a run defender is he is susceptible to getting reached against outside zone when going against quicker and more agile offensive linemen. While he has good linear athleticism, his lateral movement skills are sub-par which can make it difficult to run his feet and stay in his gap versus stretch runs.
As a pass-rusher, the Michigan product doesn’t have a move he can consistently win with. He has a habit of standing up out of his stance on passing downs which diminishes his bull rush, and he doesn’t have any finesse moves that he can win with at the next level. The best way he can impact the passing game is by getting his hands up and batting passes.
Overall, Grant’s size and strength should help him at least be a good two-down interior defensive lineman in the NFL. He also has some scheme versatility, allowing him to line up as a 2i-technique in even fronts or a two-gapping nose tackle in odd fronts.
I’ve got nothing against the Seahawks adding more depth and size to their defensive interior. It feels like the Seahawks have had a clear issue of getting bullied against the run too often even during the improvements toward the end of last season. I’m not sure I’d want to use pick 18 on defense again, however. Alas, these are just mock drafts and ideas to plant. We’ve got lots of time and lots of our own draft profiles and breakdowns to come over the next few months.
Grant’s an athletic marvel and undoubtedly one hell of a talent. Watch some of his highlights below: