Michigan DT Kenneth Grant reveals new weight, 40-yard dash goal at the NFL Combine

Michigan Wolverines football defensive tackle Kenneth Grant will be one of the players with the biggest spotlight on him this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. A projected first-round pick, Grant could improve his standing even further with a great week of meetings and workouts in front of the entire league.

Grant came a long way in his Michigan career, going from the 2022 class’s No. 277 overall player to a defensive line stalwart, playing his best ball this season and starting all 12 games he played. He finished with and 32 total tackles, 3 sacks, 2 fumbles recovered, 5 passes defended and entered the combine as Pro Football Focus’ No. 14 overall prospect.

 ”I’m a three-down player for sure,” Grant said Wednesday during his media availability in Indy. “I can rush the passer with my strength. I had a little bit of finesse in there, but most guys think I’m just a run-stopper, but I’m super athletic and can run for the passion.  Knowing the down the distance. certain teams’ tendencies and what they like to run. But also just technique, my alignment, assignment, and my stance.”

Grant has also lost weight since the end of the season. He told the assembled press that he played around 6-3, 345 pounds last year, but has trimmed up and sits at 332 entering the combine.

“I feel better, more agile, faster, but a lot stronger. [I’m trying] to get in that 4.9 or 4.8 [range], somewhere around there. I’m looking forward to that challenge,” he said of his projected 40-yard dash time. “I think I’m more athletic than some of these guys, pretty good athletes in this class, but, I’m intelligent, know a lot of football, so I think that’s what stands out for me.”

NFL.com profile: “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.”

Grant can rush the passer, but his passion lies in stopping the run and it is a trait of his game he takes the most seriously.

“[I] always pride myself on stopping the run,” he said. “Moving sideline to sideline and trying to make plays. That’s what defensive linemen should strive for.”

Grant his on his relationship with Mason Graham, win over Ohio State

Grant is not the only defensive tackle expected to go early. Classmate Mason Graham is a projected top 5-10 selection in most mocks. The two have a great friendship but also have built their bond via competition.

 ”We’ll talk smack, have different lift times and things like that,” Grant said. “So we always talk smack and challenge each other. But we have different games. So, I try to learn from him. He tries to learn from me. So it’s a friendly competitiveness.

 ”[Graham is] just a great teammate, unselfish guy. I’m an unselfish guy as well. If he eats, I eat. If I eat, he eats, so it’s just, going back and forth.”

Both men played their last games at Michigan in a 13-10 upset win over the eventual national title-winning Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 30, U-M’s fourth-straight win in the series. A dominant effort up front from the two defensive tackles was the culmination of a rallying cry to end the year.

“Just understood that we couldn’t play for a championship anymore,” Grant said. “We had the opportunity to go and run some more people’s seasons. So just trying to do that and also win. I think everything came together at the end.”