Not many NFL teams would even consider taking a defensive tackle with a top-five pick.
That’s not what some would call an ‘impact position,’ meaning that they don’t usually stand out on their own and earn their praise by winning one-on-one.
That’s why the Cleveland Browns knew they had someone special when they got a young player who was a consensus top-five selection, even despite his position.
They felt comfortable with the idea of not getting Travis Hunter at No. 2 because they could still get a building block and elite prospect in Mason Graham, so they didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger and trade down.
Considering his defensive prowess and skills, Damian Parson of Bleacher Report firmly believes he can be a strong candidate to win Defensive Player of the Year honors:
“[Mason] Graham’s case for Defensive Rookie of the Year will be based on how impactful he can be with single-gap responsibilities. He is capable of generating pressure and pushing the pocket into the quarterback’s face,” Parson wrote. “Graham’s run defense is evident and expected to benefit him in a tough AFC North, but making plays as a pass-rusher against Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and likely Aaron Rodgers is why he was selected with the fifth overall pick this year.”
Graham was the best defensive player on a Michigan team that was flooded with talent.
Opposing teams routinely double-teamed and triple-teamed him, yet he often shook them off.
The 21-year-old will now benefit from playing next to the best pass rusher in the game, and opposing teams won’t be able to afford focusing on both of them, so he should have plenty of wide-open lanes to make an impact one-on-one.
He was a shutdown run defender in college, mostly because he was rarely in a situation in which he wasn’t double-teamed or had a clear lane to the opposing quarterback, but that shouldn’t be the case now in the pros.
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