The Cleveland Browns made a bold choice by trading down and taking Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham with their fifth-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The move brought, what many hope to be, a long-term fix to the interior defensive line. It's been a position that has struggled to have any sort of consistency or reliability for years now, and has often let the Browns defense down.
Now, the Browns have a prospect who, at just 21 years of age, could be the next great impactful player on the team. His arrival didn't come without some controversy, though. Many were perplexed that Andrew Berry and Co. took Graham as high as they did. Others weren't too fond of Graham as an option, while many more thought passing on two-way player Travis Hunter was a mistake.
Yet, the Browns could be looking at the real deal. In early July, Browns' film analyst Lance Reisland spoke highly of Graham, saying on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast (via Cleveland.com), "Mason Graham is a guy, I will promise you this, when the pads go on, Mason Graham is a complete nasty human being.”
Strong praise, especially when his toughness during non-pad practices has been criticized by some.
Another voice within the Browns organization who feels very highly about the rookie defensive tackle is defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire. In mid-June, Cesaire spoke to the Browns Zone and hyped up the rookie, saying "...here's a kid that every day he gets better. Every day he came out here, he's running to the ball as fast as he could. You see his rush game developing, you see him launching with hands....he's done a really good job and he's great in the room, extremely smart individual, hardworking. So I can't wait to see him come out and play."
Graham is coming in with all of the tools and coaching needed to be a major player early. Playing next to future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett may also be a huge bonus for the rookie. With so much focus on Garrett, Graham may be able to get more one-on-one situations, allowing him to show what he can do in earnest.
If he's matched up opposite Garrett, it'll be on him to warrant his own double teams. If he's able to demand them, as well as Garrett, they'll open up so many opportunities for their teammates to make some noise in the backfield. If he can become the next great linemen for the Browns' defense, this team may not need long to get back into title contention.
Especially not with a rebuilt defense, whom Graham is just one piece of.