2025 NFL Draft: Star DL Lands With Chiefs

CBS Sports predicts the Chiefs to select DL Kenneth Grant from Michigan.

Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant celebrates a sack on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. during the College Football Playoff national championship game against Washington at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. | Melanie Maxwell / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The upcoming 2025 NFL Draft is fast approaching, and many teams are beginning to zone in on their selection strategies.

For the Kansas City Chiefs, it's still unclear which direction they could go in the first round. Many speculate that the organization will opt for either of the fronts, as that is where they are most lacking.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has constantly had to outrun defenders in fear of a shaky and inconsistent offensive line. Meanwhile, with the loss of defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, it's hard to tell if Kansas City's defense is going to be effective at getting to opposing team QBs.

Kyle Stackpole, an analyst at CBS Sports, projects the Chiefs to take defensive lineman Kenneth Grant, who could provide some much-needed support to defenders Chris Jones and George Karlaftis.

"Tershawn Wharton is gone and Chris Jones isn't getting any younger, so the Chiefs must address the interior of their defensive line," Stackpole wrote. "It was a major bummer that a hamstring strain kept Kenneth Grant from working out at the NFL combine, but he's still a massive, super athletic interior defensive lineman with a ton of room to grow."

Stackpole also ranked Grant as the 30th-best prospect in the draft class and the 5th-best defensive lineman in the class. If the Chiefs were to pull the trigger on Grant, it'd be with their 31st overall pick in the first round.

Grant, who spent the past three years with the Michigan Wolverines, has been a true run-stopper for the former National Champions. After not having much of an impact in 2022, Grant skyrocketed into stardom the next season, recording 29 total tackles and 3.5 sacks, along with a surprising interception. He followed 2023 with a similar season his junior year, and quickly declared for the NFL draft.

The Chiefs were left short-handed after Wharton had left the team in free agency, and desperately want to maintain the luxury of having an elite defense. Pairing up Grant with KC's All-Pro DT, along with Karlaftis on the outside, the Chiefs would definitely be a scary sight for any offensive line in the league.

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