Defensive tackle is the 49ers' biggest need and Kenneth Grant is the NFL's Draft biggest defensive tackle, or one of them. Will they take him in Round 1?
As of now, the 49ers' starting defensive tackles are Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliott, two journeymen who will be free agents in 2026. Behind them are Evan Anderson and Kalia Davis, two young players with very little experience.
Ideally, the 49ers should spend their first-round pick this year on the best defensive tackle available who fits their Wide 9 defensive front. They own the 11th pick, so they should be able to acquire a difference-maker.
The top two defensive tackles in the class generally are considered to be Michigan's Mason Graham and Ole Miss' Walter Nolen. They both dominate one-on-one matchups against both the pass and the run, but they're both also lighter than 300 pounds. Which means neither one has the size to anchor against the double teams they would face on the 49ers.
The 49ers just learned this lesson with Javon Hargrave. Two years ago, they gave him a four-year, $84 million contract. He had flourished on the Eagles which had a five-man front that created one-on-one matchups for Hargrave. On the 49ers, he didn't get those opportunities, and he struggled to defend the run.
Kenneth Grant is 6'4", 331 pounds, he's one of the best run defenders in the draft, he "can absorb and split double teams when pad level is right" according to his NFL.com draft profile and he's extremely athletic. He didn't run at the Combine but his tape shows he can fly for a man of his size.
Grant would be a tremendous pick for the 49ers in Round 1. He would give them a true three-down defensive tackle who demands double teams, shuts down the run between the tackles and collapses the pocket.
Don't be surprised if he's the pick.
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