Young Browns Defender Could Make ‘Big Jump’ In 2026

Mason Graham’s rookie season with the Cleveland Browns certainly wasn’t perfect, but it did end with fans excited about what he might be able to do in his second year and beyond.

Writing for Cleveland.com, Dan Labbe said that the numbers just “weren’t there” for Graham during his first year, but he added that the rookie defensive tackle could end up showing a lot of progress next season.

“The numbers weren’t there for Graham in his rookie season. He passed the eyeball test, though, especially before a rib injury suffered in practice prior to the Titans game slowed him down. Graham finished second on the team with 36 pressures, according to PFF, the third-most among rookie defensive linemen and tops among rookie interior linemen. Of course, the No. 5 overall pick ultimately has to do better than a half sack, but if he continues to create pressure, the sacks will follow, and we could see a big jump in 2026,” Labbe wrote.

When Graham was selected as the No. 5 overall pick last year, he was seen as someone with a lot of potential. The Browns had traded down from the No. 2 pick to get him, and it was seen as one of the savviest moves of the draft.

But things got off to a rough start for Graham. He didn’t seem comfortable in his position and wasn’t playing like a first-rounder. Thankfully, he turned things around.

During the last nine games of the season, Graham put up 32 tackles, five for a loss, and two quarterback hits. Of his 36 pressures, 23 of them came in the final nine games of the year. He was obviously in the zone as the season came to a close.

When the Browns lost defensive tackle Maliek Collins to injury, Graham was able to step up to fill the void.  He was finally able to show what he is truly capable of and silenced all talk of him being a bust.

But that won’t mean much if he can’t dig even deeper during his sophomore year in the league.

A big jump would prove that his rocky start was just a fluke, and it would confirm that he’s one of the best first-round choices of the last several drafts.