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Wolverines star DL Grant entering NFL draft

  • Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterDec 26, 2024, 01:37 PM ET

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      College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.

Michigan’s Kenneth Grant Jr., the massive defensive lineman who helped the Wolverines to a national title in 2023 and wins over Ohio State, is headed to the NFL draft.

Grant will forgo his final year of eligibility, he announced Thursday in a social media post. ESPN’s Mel Kiper lists the 6-3, 339-pound Grant as the No. 19 overall prospect for the 2025 draft, and the No. 4 draft-eligible defensive tackle prospect.

A native of Gary, Indiana, Grant formed the nation’s best interior defensive line tandem with Mason Graham, who declared for the draft earlier this month and ranks No. 4 on Kiper’s Big Board. Grant led Michigan with two fumble recoveries and ranked second on the team with five pass breakups, while adding 3.0 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 quarterback hurries. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and third-team AP All-America honors.

Grant had four tackles and an assisted tackle for loss in Michigan’s 13-10 upset win over archrival Ohio State on Nov. 30.

He first flashed his incredible athleticism in 2023 at Penn State, when he tracked running back Kaytron Allen on a breakaway. Grant started five games for Michigan’s national championship-winning team, finishing with 29 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, 5 pass breakups, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery. He also earned second-team All-Big Ten honors that year.

Grant joins Graham, cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland in declaring for the draft ahead of Michigan’s ReliaQuest Bowl appearance against No. 11 Alabama on Tuesday in Tampa.

NFL

Festive flair: Chiefs and Steelers make spirited Week 17 arrivals

With the 2024 NFL regular season dwindling down, players are making sure they finish on a high note — even with their game day outfits.

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Whether it’s a cozy fit to counter the cold weather or a festive look during the holidays, athletes often show out before taking the field. Week 17 is no different.

Here are the best arrivals from the week.

NFL

49ers rule out LT Williams, others for last 2 games

  • Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterDec 23, 2024, 07:58 PM ET

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      Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers’ ever-growing list of players out for the season because of injury added at least three more Monday, with the offensive line bearing the brunt of coach Kyle Shanahan’s updates.

One day after his team was eliminated from postseason contention, Shanahan announced that left tackle Trent Williams (left ankle), left guard Aaron Banks (right MCL) and backup tackle Jaylon Moore (quad) will miss the team’s final two games.

Banks and Moore suffered their injuries in Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins, while Williams has been out since a Nov. 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. As recently as last week, Williams was seen using a scooter to keep his left ankle elevated as he maneuvered around the locker room.

“(He) hasn’t been able to improve enough to get him out there,” Shanahan said. “We don’t see that happening enough in these two weeks, especially the situation we’re in.”

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That trio of players ruled out for the season could be expanded to a quartet or quintet depending on the status of linebacker Dre Greenlaw (calf/Achilles) and offensive lineman Spencer Burford (calf). Greenlaw departed the Miami game after just four plays because of right calf soreness.

Greenlaw underwent further testing, the initial results of which didn’t indicate anything more than soreness, according to Shanahan. But given Greenlaw’s series of stops and starts since he returned from a torn left Achilles against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 12, it might be in his best interest to shut it down for the rest of the season.

“My gut is most likely that he’ll end up being shut down,” Shanahan said. “But I’ve got to wait to talk to Dre on that and we’ll still make sure to see exactly how he is doing because right now, we just have it as just soreness. But that’ll definitely be a decision that I’ll leave up to Dre, depending on what his health is.”

Burford has been the Niners’ top backup on the interior, but the attrition at tackle forced him into the game Sunday on the left side in place of Moore. Shanahan said Burford was also dealing with calf soreness but was still undergoing testing Monday afternoon to determine the severity.

Regardless, the 49ers will need to make some additional roster moves just to get by on the offensive line. Nick Zakelj replaced Banks against the Dolphins and likely would be first up Monday night against the Detroit Lions, while left tackle will depend on Burford’s recovery and if recently signed lineman Austen Pleasants can get up to speed. The Niners added him to the roster Saturday.

“When you get to these points where you’re down pretty low on it, you got to get five guys out there, so we’d have to make the decision on some possible guards too,” Shanahan said. “So, hopefully we’ll get some good news on Burford, but if not, we’ll probably have to add some people from other people’s practice squads. I’m sure we’ve been working on that already, but it’s a little too early to say.”

One player who could be back against the Lions is rookie running back Isaac Guerendo. Guerendo didn’t play against the Dolphins because of a hamstring injury. Shanahan said Guerendo is expected to resume practicing when the team returns to the field Thursday.

NFL

Mahomes: Ankle should be OK during short week

  • Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff WriterDec 23, 2024, 02:21 PM ET

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    • Covered Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas City Star
    • Joined ESPN in 2013

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes said his injured ankle “should be in a better place” heading into the Kansas City Chiefs’ Christmas Day game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We haven’t done a ton as far as getting out there on the practice field,” Mahomes said before Monday’s practice, the most intense of the short workweek. “We’ve done a walk-through, actually two walk-throughs now, and I feel like I can move around and do what I need to do and now we’ll get to get to a little bit faster-paced practice and see where I’m truly at. But I thought, all in all, I came out pretty well.

“Obviously the body’s going to be sore just with a short week and everything like that, but I think the ankle should be in a better place. We’ll see in practice [Monday], but as far as how I felt after this game compared to the one before, I’m definitely in a lot better place.”

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Six days after suffering a high ankle sprain against the

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