Inside The Vikings

Potential Vikings draft target Kenneth Grant skipping drills at combine

Grant has a minor hamstring strain and won't do on-field drills until Michigan's pro day.

Will Ragatz

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.
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
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Potential Vikings draft target Kenneth Grant, the mammoth defensive tackle from Michigan, won't be doing on-field drills with the other defensive linemen at the NFL combine on Thursday. Medical evaluations found that Grant has a minor hamstring strain, according to NFL Network, but he's expected to be good to go for the Wolverines' pro day in around three weeks (March 21).

On-field combine workouts kick off with the DL and linebackers at 2 p.m. CT on Thursday in Indianapolis. Grant, who was expected to put up some impressive numbers for a guy at his size, will have to wait to show off his athleticism in front of NFL scouts (although it's no secret when you turn on his college tape). He said at his combine press conference that he's down from 345 pounds to 332 and wants to run a 4.8 40-yard dash. The reports are that he pushed to participate on Thursday but is being held back, which is probably a smart choice.

Grant is a projected first-round pick who looks like an outstanding fit for the Vikings if he makes it to their selection at No. 24 overall. He has the size to eat up blocks and stop the run, which Brian Flores covets, but he also has the freakish athleticism to be a real weapon as a pass rusher as well. Over the last two seasons for Michigan, Grant racked up 69 tackles, 12 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 38 hurries, eight batted passes, three fumble recoveries, and an interception.

The highlight of his that stands out the most is a play from 2023 where he sprints down a Penn State running back at the second level:

Grant wasn't included in the first round of Mel Kiper Jr.'s most recent ESPN mock draft, but that feels like an oversight on Kiper's part. If he puts up big-time testing numbers at his pro day, he'll solidify himself as a first-rounder. It actually seems more likely than not that Grant will be off the board before the Vikings' pick at 24. If he happens to fall to them, he's the type of player who could make GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stay put instead of trading down.

There seems to be a growing trend of players opting out of the on-field workouts at the combine. Top prospects like Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, Ashton Jeanty, and Will Johnson are among that group this year. Mason Graham, Grant's Michigan teammate, is only doing the bench press. Potential No. 1 pick Abdul Carter has a foot injury and won't test. For players, the the combine is primarily about medical evaluations and in-person interviews with teams, even though the testing numbers get most of the publicity. Pro days provide a secondary option for those who decide not to test in Indy.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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