The 2025 NFL draft is just over two months away, and few teams are in a better spot to build for the future than the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers will have plenty of opportunities to add rookies in April. Not only does the franchise currently hold eight draft picks — including the 22nd overall selection — but OverTheCap is also projecting that Los Angeles will receive three compensatory picks, bringing general manager Joe Hortiz's total up to 11.
There's a plethora of impact players the Chargers can add in the first round, and some of them even have connections to the team already. After all, there are plenty of top-rated prospects coming out of the University of Michigan who previously played under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Having said that, the latest news around one of those Michigan prospects might be enough to push the Chargers in another direction.
Chargers News: Michigan DT Kenneth Grant Dealing With Hamstring Injury
On Thursday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant was diagnosed with a hamstring strain during the NFL scouting combine. The ailment held the 6-foot-4 defender out of the combine's latest drills, however, it seems like he'll be healthy enough to participate in the Wolverines' Pro Day next month.
#Michigan DT Kenneth Grant was found during Combine medical evaluations to have a hamstring strain, per me and @MikeGarafolo, and he won’t be participating in on-field drills today.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 27, 2025
Grant, who pushed to participate anyway, will be full go at Michigan Pro Day on March 21. pic.twitter.com/05gNZGBcc6
With the Chargers' offensive line needing a lot of work (upgrades, aging players, etc.), Grant has been at the top of a lot of Los Angeles fans' mock drafts. Not only due to the promising run-stopper's connections with Harbaugh, but because his presence would help solidify the team's D-line situation for years to come.
In his three seasons at Michigan, Grant racked up 36 solo tackles, 12 lost-yardage tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 broken-up passes, and three fumble recoveries while earning two second-team All-Big Ten nods (2023-24) and even third-team All-American honors (2024). That's without even mentioning the CFP National Championship he won with Harbaugh and the Wolverines as a sophomore.
As talented as Grant is, his latest injury might have the Chargers looking in a different direction come April. The last thing Harbaugh & Co. want to do is roll the dice on a first-round prospect who might not be healthy to start the 2025 campaign or whose hamstring might be a frequent issue down the line.
Nevertheless, no one in the Chargers organization knows Grant better than Harbaugh. If the L.A. head coach is confident that his former pupil can fully recover and become an everyday starter, GM Hortiz might have no choice but to take a swing on the versatile defensive tackle.
Look for the Chargers' potential interest in Grant to become clearer closer to the 2025 NFL draft, which takes place in Green Bay, WI, beginning on Thursday, Apr. 24.