Giants could fix major defensive weakness with athletic DT in Round 2 of 2025 NFL Draft

Kenneth Grant, 2025 NFL Draft, Giants
Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The interior of the New York Giants’ defensive line is headlined by All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence. While the Giants feel comfortable with Lawrence manning the middle of their defensive trenches, adding talent around him this offseason will be a priority. Outside of Lawrence, the Giants didn’t have any true starting talent at defensive tackle in 2024, making the position one of their biggest needs on their roster entering the offseason.

Thankfully for Big Blue, the 2025 NFL Draft class features a great crop of defensive tackles, with ESPN’s Matt Miller saying the position is “loaded in [the] top 75 picks.” One athletic defensive tackle could be an intriguing target for the G-Men in the second round.

Giants could solve defensive line issues with Michigan DT Kenneth Grant

Kenneth Grant, 2025 NFL Draft, Giants
Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan DT Kenneth Grant is currently the No. 41 ranked prospect on Miller’s Top-50 Big Board. The Giants hold the 34th-overall pick in this years draft (the second pick of the second round), which could be where they consider taking Grant. The 6-foot-3, 339-pound interior stuffer has rare athleticism paired with his space-absorbing size. Miller gave him high praise in his latest scouting report:

“Area scouts who have visited Michigan speak highly of Grant’s potential. ‘People his size shouldn’t move like this,’ an AFC West area scout texted me earlier this season,” Miller’s report reads. “Grant is rumored to run a sub-5-second time in the 40-yard dash and has posted a 29-inch vertical. That movement ability shows up on tape when he’s crashing the pocket or chasing down runners.

“Grant even had an interception off a batted ball last season when he tracked it down like a punt returner fielding a kick. His scheme fit as a true nose tackle might limit his value with some teams, but he is a plug-and-play starter over the center.”

The Michigan defensive tackle has caught the eyes of scouts and analysts alike with his rare movement skills for a player of his size. A two-year starter for the Wolverines, Grant won a National Championship in 2023 and turned in another stellar season in 2024. He set new career highs in 2024 with 32 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries while also adding 3.0 sacks and five pass defenses.

Pro Football Focus ranks Grant as the No. 2 interior defender on their draft board, citing his unique quickness, athleticism, and ability to bat down passes as his top strengths. If Grant lasts until the second round, and the Giants are taking the “best player available strategy” in Round 2, then the Michigan defender will be among their top options.

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