The Cleveland Browns have spent much of the season searching for positives to build around, and one of the most encouraging developments has come from the interior of the defensive line. While much of the national attention understandably goes toward Myles Garrett, another young defender has quietly put together a season that is earning league-wide respect.
That player is Mason Graham.
According to Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, Graham has earned recognition as one of the best rookies in the NFL after a strong second half of the season.
Edwards highlighted Graham’s impact when discussing the league’s All-Rookie team and noted how much his play has progressed as the year has gone on.
“Graham was a part of the midseason All Rookie team, but the defensive tackle group had been uninspiring. He has been better during the second half of the season. His 34 pressures lead all rookie interior defenders by a considerable amount and the sack numbers would be more impressive if Myles Garrett was not engulfing the opposing quarterback in record time,” Edwards wrote.
Interior defensive linemen rarely get the spotlight unless they rack up sacks, and even then, their impact often goes under the radar.
Leading all rookie interior defenders with 34 pressures is not an accident. It reflects consistency, technique, and his work ethic.
His growth also speaks to how the Browns’ defensive front functions as a unit.
Playing alongside Myles Garrett creates opportunities, but it also creates expectations. Offenses slide protection toward Garrett, but that does not automatically guarantee success for others. Players still have to win their matchups. Graham has done that repeatedly.
What stands out most is how Graham has improved late in the season. That is when rookies typically hit a wall. Instead, he has become more disruptive. More comfortable. More confident. That progression suggests his ceiling is still far from reached.
For a Browns team searching for long-term building blocks, Graham’s emergence matters. Interior pressure is one of the hardest things to find in the NFL, and when it is paired with an elite edge presence, it can anchor a defense for years.
In a season filled with frustration, Mason Graham’s development has been one of the clearer wins for the Browns.
Graham is not just part of the future. He is becoming a foundation piece.
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