Cameron Heyward Supports Steelers Drafting Massive Michigan DT: ‘He Looks Like an Alien’
Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward likes the idea of the Pittsburgh Steelers drafting Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.
Their is a strong belief that the Pittsburgh Steelers will use their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a defensive lineman after spending most of their time obsessing over the position group this offseason. Veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is all on board with that idea.
In fact, Heyward has a specific player that he thinks would be the perfect fit along the Steelers defensive line — Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.
“I think he’s more of a nose, D-tackle type. Big, like freakishly big where he looks like an alien next to a lot of other guys,” Heyward said on his “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast. “I think he plays with his hands well, really good motor. We’ll see what happens.”
Grant, 21, is viewed as one of the best defensive linemen in this year’s draft after recording 61 tackles, 6.5 sacks and one interception over the past two years at Michigan.
However, the 6-foot-4, 331-pound defensive tackle has gone a bit overlooked since he played next to defensive lineman Mason Graham, who some believe will be selected within the top five picks. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks Steelers fans should be pumped if Grant falls to them at pick No. 21.
It’s safe to say the Steelers brass would be pumped, too, after Grant revealed he had a “very serious” formal meeting with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Pittsburgh did skip Grant’s Michigan pro day last Friday, which is one of their usual annual stops. But fans shouldn’t read too much into that since general manager Omar Khan, head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith stayed behind to recruit quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a free agent visit.
The Steelers defensive line needs a bit of an overhaul. Heyward will turn 36 this offseason and the team already released defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, who they have yet to find a replacement for. Grant could prove to be exactly that.