The Cleveland Browns could’ve landed the most exciting prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Instead, they traded away the chance to get two-way star Travis Hunter and added defensive tackle Mason Graham instead.
Defensive tackles do not usually go so early in the first round, and while he wasn’t a “sexy” pick, the fact that the Browns traded down from No. 2 overall, passing on a potentially generational talent, and drafted Graham at No. 5 speaks volumes about his skill set.
With that in mind, insider Mary Kay Cabot dug deep into Graham’s tape to discuss his potential impact on coordinator Jim Schwartz’s defense.
Given how Graham operated during his college days at Michigan, Cabot believes he is going to be a nightmare for NFL quarterbacks.
“With the Wolverines, Graham was responsible for a lot more traditional D-line work — specifically, eating up blocks, and cleaning things up so the Wolverine linebackers could work. Because of that, it’s impressive he was able to put up the pressure numbers he did over his last two years in Ann Arbor. Now in Cleveland, Graham is going to have a chance to chase down QBs more. Based on his college production, it’s understandable why Schwartz thinks he could increase those numbers,” Cabot wrote.
Michigan had a solid defense, but Graham was the anchor of everything.
He had to do all the dirty work, deal with double teams and clear paths for everybody around him, and he still managed to get to the opposing quarterback.
Now, he will play side by side with Myles Garrett, and that’s going to open up so many lanes for him.
Offensive linemen won’t be able to commit to Graham as much as they did in college, because that will most likely lead to Garrett getting better looks at the quarterback.
Defensive tackles aren’t known to be impact players, but Graham is no ordinary defensive tackle, and fans should be very excited about him.
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