Jim Harbaugh gets Chargers a Michigan star in new 2025 NFL mock draft

Could Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh be bringing in an old friend to help the defense?

Tyler Reed | Nov 1, 2024

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Los Angeles Chargers

It's never too early to look at the future. For the Los Angeles Chargers and their fanbase, it is an exciting team to follow the team. The franchise is in Year 1 of head coach Jim Harbaugh's so-called soft rebuild. So, looking ahead at the 2025 NFL draft is something everyone has their eyes on.

Aside from quarterback, the Chargers could take any position in the upcoming draft, and fans would be okay with the pick. However, there are a few units on the team that are in desperate need of help, and a rookie would have to be able to play on day one. One of those positions would be defensive tackle.

In the latest Pro Football Focus (PFF) mock draft, NFL draft analyst Trevor Sikkema has Harbaugh's team selecting the 20th pick of the first round. With that pick, Sikkema believes Harbaugh will bring Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant to Los Angeles: "Former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh once called Kenneth Grant (and Mason Graham) “gifts from the football gods.” If he has the chance to draft either of them, now as the Chargers' head coach, consider it a strong possibility."

It makes sense that Harbaugh would bring in someone he recruited in college. Grant could also help a defensive tackle unit that has struggled to stop the run. According to PFF, Chargers defensive tackles Poona Ford and Teair Tart have the best run-stopping grades in the unit. However, Tart's 65.1 grade, being second best, won't cut it.

Grant's 300-plus-pound frame is the definition of someone who can clog running holes between the tackles. It may not sound like a trendy name, but Grant could be a pillar for the future of the Chargers defense.

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