The Cleveland Browns were the talk of the 2025 NFL Draft after trading down and selecting Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. What exactly are the Browns getting in their new defender, and what kind of a player does his tape show?
When looking at the stat sheet, Graham doesn't stand out as anything special. He played nearly 1,300 snaps across three seasons for the Wolverines, totaling 108 tackles, nine sacks, and 18 tackles for loss. His production certainly wasn't what led the Browns to take him fifth overall, and neither were his physical traits; Graham did not participate in any athletic testing, is not a freak athlete, has 13th percentile arm length and a 25th percentile wingspan. So why did Cleveland value him so highly?
The answer is his tape. Dating back to his freshman year when he was barely 19 years old, Graham was a tremendously impactful player in the middle of the Michigan defense. His consistent play allowed the coaching staff to be more aggressive at other positions because they knew that Graham could be counted on to do exactly what he was asked, which was a lot. He often was not the one making the play that was recorded in the box score, but his execution led to that play being made by his teammate.
Graham made his teammates better by being consistent and powerful all along the line of scrimmage, and he did that for three years. We'll focus on his sophomore campaign here, starting with The Game against Ohio State.