The Cleveland Browns made one of the biggest moves of the 2025 NFL Draft. Trading down from No. 2 to No. 5 came with plenty of risks, especially with a so-called generational talent like Travis Hunter up for grabs.
GM Andrew Berry rolled the dice, and with such a major offer sitting on his table, he just had to pull the trigger. Now, this team is reaping the rewards of that move.
While not many people were happy with taking a defensive tackle as high as No. 5, Mason Graham has proven to be the real deal.
The rookie out of Michigan has been a shutdown interior defender, and he’s also made big strides as a pass rusher.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Bucky Brooks gave him a B+ grade.
“GRADE: B+ The high-motor interior defender was an underappreciated selection as a top-five pick, but his film and production reveal a disruptive run stopper with pass-rush potential,” Brooks wrote.
Of course, Graham is far from a finished product. But you know a defensive lineman is doing his job when you’re not talking about him very often.
On top of his numbers and his continuous growth, Graham has also worked wonders for Myles Garrett. He’s opened up so many lanes for the Browns’ star pass rusher to turn the corner and get to the quarterback, and it’s not a coincidence that he’s posting the best numbers of his career in his first year by his side.
Defensive tackle play is rarely flashy, and it takes a lot to justify being a top-five draft pick.
So far, Graham has done just that and a little more in his first season in Cleveland.
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