Mock Draft Monday: The Steelers add a run-stuffing defensive lineman with their top pick
The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into the 2025 offseason. With free agency as the next big event to shape next season’s roster, it will be followed by the NFL draft in April. The Steelers will have a number of decisions with players who were on the 2024 roster and will have the opportunity to add some free agent acquisitions before making their first draft selection. The NFL combine and player pro days will also shape the team’s big boards before the draft.
When talking about mock drafts or NFL free agency, one first has to first identify the team’s main needs for the offseason. Before any gains or losses in free agency, there are some who would like to see the Steelers go with either cornerback or defensive line with their first-round pick. Others feel wide receiver or even quarterback could be on top of the list. With plenty of chances for the Steelers to shape their roster prior to April, their goal is usually to get into position to draft the best player available rather than target a specific position. When it comes to what position the team will select with their first pick, it is certainly up for debate.
In a somewhat recent one-round mock draft by ProFootballNetwork.com, they have the Steelers addressing the defensive tackle position this season before anything else. With the Steelers needing to add more to this position group, selecting a top-notch defensive tackle in the first round is not a bad idea if the right player is there. Since the Steelers could go in any number of directions with their first selection, it is important to look at all the possibilities presented by various mock draft outlets.
Check out the Steelers 21st pick:
21. Pittsburgh Steelers | Kenneth Grant | DT | Michigan | JR |
Being early in the draft process, there may be some players most fans are not familiar with. If this is the case, here is a breakdown of Grant according to bleacherreport.com (from November of 2024):
Kenneth Grant
- HEIGHT: 6’3″
- WEIGHT: 339
POSITIVES
— Good size for an NFL defensive tackle and doesn’t carry much bad weight.
— Takes on blocks with his hands and has the strength to gain control of the block at the point of attack.
— Hard to move with one-on-one blocks and is solid at holding ground against double teams, has a strong and sturdy base.
— Quick to recognize down blocks to avoid getting washed inside.
— Has a nice swim move/arm over to defeat or escape blocks against the run.
— Gets his hands up when he doesn’t hit home as a pass rusher to bat passes at the line of scrimmage.
NEGATIVES
— Doesn’t offer much as a pass-rusher. He stands up out of his stance on passing downs and the sub-par pad level hurts his bull rush, and he lacks twitch and quickness to win with finesse moves.
— Has inconsistent hand placement as a run defender, often landing them wide on the offensive lineman and exposing his chest.
— Appears to have shorter arms, limiting how much extension he can get on blocks.
— Struggles to stay in his gap against outside zone runs, he has sub-par agility and will occasionally get reached.
NOTES
— Born Oct. 27, 2003
— A 3-star recruit in the 2022 class, per 247Sports
— No major injuries
— 2023 Second Team All-Big Ten
OVERALL
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.
GRADE: 7.7 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)
OVERALL RANK: 36
POSITION RANK: DL4
PRO COMPARISON: Dalvin Tomlinson
For all you who are preparing yourself for the draft, what do you think of the selection? Would you be on board with the Steelers taking Grant with their first pick? Or do you feel there is a better player at this position, a different one who may still be available, or that Grant will not make it to the 21st pick? Personally, I must first say how frustrating it is to find a mock draft that isn’t just sending a wide receiver to the Steelers. I get the national outlets aren’t really in tune with each team, but it’s really lazy to just look at the roster and say that’s where they should go. It’s been almost 20 years since the Steelers took a wide receiver in the first round, so maybe they are due. But I think it’s just as likely the Steelers could go with a defensive lineman, and it’s difficult to find a mock draft at this time that has the Steelers taking one.
Getting to the topic of Kenneth Grant, his evaluation and placement in mock drafts is kind of all over the place. I have seen him go from the fifth overall pick to completely out of the first round. But as the draft process progresses, I’m sure things will come more into light as to whether or not Grant would be available at 21 or if he would be too much of a reach. Looking strictly as filling a need for the Steelers, getting a massive player who is good against the run on the defensive line to play nose tackle sounds great, but the Steelers would be best fitted if they set their defense up in a way where they can play more base defense and have a nose tackle on the field. If that is the case, then I think going defensive line in the first round, particularly a run-stuffing nose tackle, isn’t a bad idea.
I think it depends on who is available as to whether this is the correct pick. I (personally) am fully on-board with taking a D-lineman in the 1st. But there are a few other positions of real need that make it difficult to say this is the correct pick. But, like you, I have seen Grant mocked to us in round 1. I find it very difficult to do or read mock drafts prior to seeing what the team does in free agency. 7-14 days into free agency is when I really start to dig into mocks. As a guy that doesn’t really watch college football, the great value for me in doing them at this time is to read a buttload of draft profiles! So, thanks for sharing this one!
I had to dig to find it. Almost every mock draft right now seems to have the WR from Ohio State to the Steelers. But, just like you, I think free agency will change things immensely. I keep using my example of doing all this research for tight ends one offseason because the Steelers desperately needed one and then they signed Eric Ebron in free agency and didn’t draft one at all. That just goes to show that March will ultimately help determine what happens at the end of April.
Grant is fine, just like your favorite cereal can be an important part of a good breakfast. With the rest of the draft and FA needing to find QB1, QB2, RB1, WR 1/2, DL2/3, CB2, etc. it’s hard to get to a bottom line on one particular move.
I think they need to get bigger on the DL. I’d like to see one picked in the first 3 rounds, so it definitely wouldn’t make me angry to see one here. I still think they need FA help either way.
I don’t know if they’ll go there in RD 1, but I think they’ll go there in the first two days. They have to. People will complain about the Steelers investing more in the defense, but the reason the defense is so expensive is they’re not drafting enough defenders recently, which are on cheaper contracts. They need to start drafting some key defensive players more than what they’ve done on offense.
Thank you for making the point that the defense is expensive in terms of salary cap because we don’t draft enough defenders. Salary is one of two resources available to a team. The other is draft capital. We spend an enormous amount of draft capital on the offense, which is why it is cheap and the defense looks expensive.
Part of it is the Steelers have hit on a few defenders in the draft prior to 2021 while not having a single player from that time on offense. It’s not many as it’s Heyward, Watt, & Highsmith (Sutton and Matakevich left and returned so I don’t count them). It’s actually pretty sad that the Steelers have that few players drafted by them who are on second contracts (just the 3 listed above and Freiermuth).
This is me being overly optimistic and not realistic, but hear me out:
Steelers draft a d line in the first 2 days this year would mean they have 2 day 1 or 2 defensive lineman (Benton and 2025 draft player) to go along side cam, TJ, and highsmith
The offensive line has 3 day 1 or 2 players as well (jones, Frazier, fautanu) to go alongside McCormick and seumalo.
Point being, the investment in the trenches is there. I’m praying we see growth from the o line next year. Schematically, I want to see changes within the defense, but I do think the talent is there.
If they rebuild the wr room, find a running back to fit Arthur smiths offense (deep rb class this draft), I think you can be an eagles-lite with Justin Fields.
Is this going to happen? Probably not. I think mainly because of how stacked the afc is, but also because the eagles are very very good and I think asking Fields to do what Hurts did is asking too much of Fields and insulting to Hurts.
It is fun to go through these “what if” scenarios, even if they won’t happen. It’s the offseason. I would like to see the trenches continue to be addressed, and who you never know what that can lead to. Here we go!
Im happy with D-line in round one, I think even with other needs if your not selecting a QB or OT bolstering the D-Line seems like the most effective use of early draft capital (as long as you aren’t reaching). Grant is a great run stuffer and provides size we don’t have, but he also has some great footwork which could lead to some pass rush upside in the pros down the stretch.
I like going DL in round 1 I’m just not sure you do if it isn’t Graham or Nolen. There seems to be a lot of Grant type guys that can be had later. If I could get Nolen and say Deon Walker or Jordan Phillips in round 4 also, I would be really happy. I don’t want them to draft a developmental QB because I am not sure there is really one that they should draft. So many mocks have Egbuka but what year was he even a #1 at tOSU? I don’t know what I think of him. I am good with still building the trenches and filling in with skill when the team is ready to win.