Saints Tied To 21-Year-Old Star As 'Day 1 Option'

The New Orleans Saints are going to have a chance to add some big-time talent next month.

The 2025 National Football League Draft is less than a month away and the Saints have the No. 9 pick right now unless the Saints make a move. Who could the Saints add? Recently, there's been a lot of chatter about who the team's choice could end up being.

Speculation is running rampant right now and for example, Pro Football Focus' Jordan Plocher shared a column with early and late-round options for each team. For the Saints, Plocher called Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant a "Day 1 option."

"New Orleans Saints: Interior Defender," Ploucher said. "Day 1 option: Kenneth Grant, Michigan. Day 3 option: Rylie Mills, Notre Dame. New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley brings a 3-4 background to New Orleans, and Grant would be a strong fit as a nose tackle in that scheme. The Michigan product earned an 87.5 run-defense grade in 2024.

"Mills projects best as a 5-technique defensive end, where he can contribute as a pass rusher. In 2024, he recorded eight sacks, five quarterback hits, 21 hurries and an 83.1 pass-rush grade."

Grant had 6.5 sacks across the last three seasons with Michigan. In 2024, he had three sacks, 32 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and five passes defended. It's going to be an intriguing month and there's seemingly an endless amount of players who have been linked to the Saints recently.