By Cooper Girolamo
The defensive line are some of the biggest unsung heroes in the NFL. They aren’t the prettiest players and have one of the toughest jobs in the league, but they are some of the most important players on the field every single play. There are some great defensive linemen in the draft this year and the top ones have some dream landing spots where if they are to be drafted there, they would make an immediate impact.
DT Mason Graham, Michigan
Graham out of Michigan may be the best overall player in the entire draft class. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive tackles was the Rose Bowl Defensive MVP and won the national championship as a sophomore with the Wolverines in 2024 and followed it up with an amazing junior season. This past season he had 45 tackles including seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He was the main reason the Wolverines were almost impossible to run the ball against. His interior presence is a must have for every team. The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of those teams at the top of the draft who desperately need help on the interior of their defensive line making Graham the perfect fit for Duval. Jacksonville ranked second to last in total team defense and 25th against the run last season. While Graham wouldn’t be able to fix all those problems on his own, he would be an excellent start to bolster that defense and one step closer to creating “Sacksonville 2.0.”
DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
Grant is another absolute unit on the defensive line. His quick first step helped him to wreak havoc in the backfield across college football last season. Grant played alongside the previously mentioned, Graham for the Michigan Wolverines. He is 6-foot-4 and weighs 340 pounds, and alongside Graham, it was near impossible for anyone to run against the Wolverines. This past season he had 32 tackles, three sacks, and two fumble recoveries. While those don’t sound like amazing numbers, he was such a force in the run game, nobody wanted to come near him, so he was able to force runners away from him and right into the arms of a Wolverine teammate.
Michigan DT Kenneth Grant:
🏈 87.5 run defense grade in 2024
🏈 2024 All-American
🏈 23 hurries at DT
🏈 Elite power, low center of gravity, refined hands
🏈 Ran a 4.9 at 360 lbsNot enough people talking about him as an option for the #Bears at No. 10 pic.twitter.com/f9juRIj5Cx
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) February 16, 2025
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With the release of their top two defensive tackles, Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave and with a need to revamp their defensive line Grant is a perfect fit for Kyle Shannahan and the San Fransisco 49ers. The 49ers lost many key free agents on the defense this offseason and are definitely looking to revamp the defense through the draft. Defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, was able to bring great success to Quinnen Williams when he was the head coach of the New York Jets, and he can likely bring a similar success and knowledge to Grant if he were to join the 49ers. Overall, the 49ers have a history of developing great talent on the defensive side of the ball and with them being very depleted on that side of the ball, Grant can be the next great 49er defender for years to come.
DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Harmon is another game wrecker at the position. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound beast for the Oregon Ducks is a perfect fit in the late first round for the Baltimore Ravens. In 2024 Harmon had 45 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles. He was a monster rushing the passer and a forceable run stopper and was a big reason the Ducks were the No. 1-ranked team in the country when the regular season came to an end.
Watching Oregon 3T Derrick Harmon (#55). Pass rush productivity is obvious (led FBS in pressures) but I’ve been impressed by how he holds his ground vs doubles despite playing a little high. Very complete player. pic.twitter.com/DCojAnl5Hm
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 7, 2025
Harmon fits in perfect with the Ravens because they were sub-par at best against the run last season and with former defensive tackle starter Michael Pierce retiring, he could be the perfect cheap replacement. While he will need some fine-tuning, John Harbaugh will be able to build him up into a top tier run stopper for the Ravens.
Graham, Grant and Harmon would bring a lot of joy to their defenses and a lot of fear to opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks. Whatever team is lucky enough to draft them will reap the benefits for many years to come.
