Not since Cam Heyward have the Pittsburgh Steelers selected a defensive lineman in the first round of an NFL Draft. Lead analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks the time to end the streak is now with Michigan NT Kenneth Grant serving as Heyward’s possible long-term replacement. Weighing in on what the Steelers should do in the upcoming draft, Jeremiah identified Grant as someone who hits all the right notes.
“Cam Heyward being 35 years old. Kenneth Grant,” Jeremiah said in an offseason video for the NFL channel. “There’s certain guys that feel like Pittsburgh Steelers. When I watch Kenneth Grant and look at this roster, that one makes a lot of sense.”
Grant brings old-school size with new-age athleticism. A mammoth of a man in the middle at 330 pounds who ran a 5.13 40 and jumped an impressive 31 inches at his Pro Day, he could fill an immediate void in the Steelers’ defense. For a unit historically good against the run, Pittsburgh faltered down the stretch in 2024 and was bowled over during the team’s five-game losing streak.
Grant brings questions over down-to-down consistency and, with just 6.5 sacks his last two seasons, true pass-rush value, but it feels like he should be on Pittsburgh’s short list.
The question is – will he be? Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan missed his Michigan workout, though a recent report suggests they attended a dinner with Wolverines draft prospects the night before. Who they met with, however, is unclear. Since at least Maurkice Pouncey in 2010, every Steelers first-round pick has either had Tomlin and/or the Steelers’ general manager attend his Pro Day or be brought in for a visit as Troy Fautanu was a season ago. Grant yet to come in for a visit with just three spots available.
After spending the past two draft cycles building up their offensive line, the Steelers should show love to the other side of the trenches. Adding Grant or Derrick Harmon, who has drawn and even himself made Heyward comparisons, would be smart. But if Pittsburgh loves a quarterback, it’ll be impossible to ignore any name available. It leaves plenty of uncertainty with the draft less than two weeks away.
