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Mason Graham

Browns Draft DT Mason Graham At No. 5

April 24th, 2025 at 7:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

After trading down from No. 2, the Browns loomed as a team capable of moving down the board once again. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that Cleveland took calls and was willing to execute another trade. Instead, the Browns have stayed pat and selected Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5 overall.

In many respects, Graham is considered the best interior defensive line prospect in this year’s draft class. A two-year starter in Ann Arbor with a National Championship victory under his belt, Graham may not have stuffed the stat sheet in the offensive backfield, only notching nine sacks and 17 tackles for loss in three years, but his presence was felt and appreciated all over the defense.

Coming from a wrestling background, Graham wins with low body position and leverage. He sheds blocks with ease and works extremely hard to keep the ball in front of him. He strength, effort, and quick twitch off the line of scrimmage will be extremely valuable in Cleveland.

Graham immediately upgrades a defensive tackles group headed by Shelby Harris and Maliek Collins. Graham should immediately factor in for starting snaps, giving Cleveland much more quality depth across a defensive line led by annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Garrett.

The last time the Browns traded out of a first-round pick that became a wide receiver and selected a defensive tackle instead was in 2011, when they traded out of a No. 6 overall pick that became Julio Jones and selected Phil Taylor at No. 21 overall. They’ll hope that this year’s trade yields much more positive results, and Graham sets them up well for this possibility.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Draft Notes: Jets, Panthers, Warren, Cousins

April 24th, 2025 at 6:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Set to select seventh overall, the Jets sit in an interesting position as things stand. A number of options will be available to the new regime of Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn, many of which have already been mentioned.

Another one has emerged as the countdown to the first round nears its end. SNY’s Connor Hughes reports receiver Tetairoa McMillan has specifically been named as a potential target. The Arizona product has seen his stock shift over the course of the pre-draft process, but hearing his name called early tonight remains a distinct possibility.

Glenn has been reported to be pushing a defensive addition on Day 1, but Hughes notes the selection of an offensive lineman or a skill-position player remains the focus of attention around the team. Right tackle represents a need, while selecting a receiver or tight end would add to an offense which has undergone plenty of changes this offseason. If McMillan is on the board at No. 7, it will be interesting to see how the team proceeds. A pursuit of running back Ashton Jeanty – the subject of trade-up efforts by the Bears – meanwhile, should not be expected, ESPN’s Rich Cimini adds.

Here are some other last-minute draft notes:

  • For now, at least, the Panthers are scheduled to select after the Jets. Trading down has long loomed as a possibility for general manager Dan Morgan, and that remains the case at this point. If Carolina stays at No. 8, The Athletic’s Joe Person reports Jalon Walker is still the “presumed pick” as things stand. That comes as no surprise given the long-running links to the Georgia linebacker/edge rusher. Otherwise, Person names Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham as an option, along with McMillan if the team is moved toward an offensive addition.
  • Tyler Warren is considered one of two first-round locks at the tight end spot. He is a strong candidate to be drafted in the top 10 as a result, but teams outside that range are interested as well. The Colts are among them, per Hughes. That comes as no surprise, given the constant connections made between Indianapolis and the team targeting a TE move with Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland. The Colts own pick No. 14, so a trade up the board would be required for Warren in particular.
  • Moves up and down the order have reportedly received consideration in the case of the Broncos. The latest update on that front comes from Person’s colleague Dianna Russini, who reports Denver is looking to trade up from No. 20. A running back or other skill-position player could be the target of such a move, depending on where in the order the team lands. Since the Broncos own the pick one spot before the Steelers (a potential QB landing spot), they will remain a team to watch closely in any event.
  • How things shake out at the quarterback position will be key as it pertains to Kirk Cousins. The veteran looms as an option for teams which are unable to select a rookie this weekend as he seeks a fresh start and starting opportunity. Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer reports Cousins could waive his no-trade clause as early as tomorrow based on the QB landscape at that point. Day 2 looms as a time when many teams could add signal-callers, however, and Palmer adds a more likely scenario would be for the one-year Falcons passer to wait until after the first three rounds take place to decide on how he wants to proceed. Cousins, 36, wants to avoid a repeat of how Atlanta operated last offseason but by the end of the draft there could of course be few (if any) suitors left in need of a short-term addition under center.

Jets, Saints In Mix For Jalon Walker; Panthers Remain High On LB

April 24th, 2025 at 9:04am CST by Sam Robinson

Recovering from a quad injury during the pre-draft process, Jalon Walker‘s stock has been climbing since his recent belated pro day. The Georgia linebacker seems a safe bet to become a top-10 pick.

Mentioned as a potential Patriots wild-card pick at No. 4 overall, Walker has not received as much buzz about a Foxborough destination compared to LSU tackle Will Campbell. If the Pats do end up filling their LT need at 4, it should not be expected Walker falls far. A few other top-10 teams are closely monitoring Georgia’s top 2025 prospect.

While Ashton Jeanty seems a safe bet not to fall past No. 6, as a run of Jaguars and Raiders rumors have circulated, Las Vegas has also been connected to bolstering its O-line at No. 6. A hybrid player who has operated as an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker, Walker could conceivably be on the Raiders’ radar too. After all, this week represents is the smokescreen Super Bowl, but he is primarily being tied to the teams holding picks from Nos. 7-9.

The Panthers, who did not make a strong effort to replace Brian Burns last year, have probably been the team most closely linked to Walker. Although Carolina did not send a large contingent to Walker’s Athens pro day earlier this month, The Athletic’s Joe Person indicates NFL personnel believe Dan Morgan and Dave Canales remain high on the intriguing front-seven piece. It is possible, however, Walker fails to reach No. 8. The Jets have been tied to O-linemen or potentially Tyler Warren at No. 7, but ESPN.com’s Matt Miller projects them to draft Walker. While the team certainly needs more help on offense compared to defense, Miller points to the team eyeing an impact defender and culture fit — ahead of Aaron Glenn‘s first season in charge — in Round 1.

Considering the growing buzz on Walker, the Saints might need to look elsewhere at No. 9. But they are believed to be in on Walker as well, per NFL.com’s Jane Slater. New Orleans, however, has also done plenty of work on Michigan DT Mason Graham and Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan, Slater adds. Warren has also come up here, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Graham no longer looks likely to go to the Jaguars at 5, and while Michigan alums are now running the Raiders (which is something to monitor re: a D-tackle pick at 6), the player who has long been viewed as this draft’s top interior presence could fall toward the lower end of the top 10.

The Saints picked up Chris Olave‘s fifth-year option Wednesday, and they have Rashid Shaheed coming back from injury to join the returning Brandin Cooks. New Orleans has been on the radar for a first-round receiver in recent years, however.

The team also doled out a $10.25MM-per-year deal to retain Juwan Johnson, while Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill remain rostered at tight end. Hill, of course, roves around the formation and is now going into an age-35 season (and coming off an injury). Warren coming off a 1,200-yard season also has enticed teams; the Penn State tight end should not need to wait too long tonight.

Raiders’ Christian Wilkins Could Miss Time In 2025

April 23rd, 2025 at 11:49am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins missed most of his debut year in Las Vegas after season-ending surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot. Now, according to Sportkeeda’s Tony Pauline, he is at risk of missing “a significant portion of the 2025 season” due to a potential second procedure on his foot.

Wilkins signed a four-year, $110MM contract with the Raiders last March which made him the second-highest-paid DT in the NFL. He recorded 2.0 sacks in his first five games in Las Vegas before landing on injured reserve. The Raiders already need depth along the interior of their defensive line, and an extended absence from Wilkins would make the position a dire need. That could impact the team’s plans in the upcoming draft.

Las Vegas, who holds the sixth overall pick in Thursday’s draft, was considered a likely landing spot for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Now that he’s trending towards the Jaguars at No. 5, the Raiders are expected to pivot to the trenches with their first-rounder. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou are the leading candidates, per Pauline, as well as Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The potential for Wilkins to miss time this year may tilt the Raiders’ interest towards Graham, who is the consensus DT1 in the 2025 class. General manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady were roommates in Ann Arbor in college and could look to add another Wolverine to the mix. Graham also had a long call with defensive line coach Rob Leonard, per Fowler, with a guest appearance from potential teammate Maxx Crosby.

However, some within the Raiders organization are pushing for an offensive lineman, according to Diana Russini of The Athletic. Left tackle Kolton Miller is seeking an extension in the last year of his contract, and the new regime in Las Vegas may prefer to draft his replacement instead. Either Membou or Banks could compete for a starting job at guard or right tackle as a rookie with the long-term goal of taking over on the left side later on.

The Raiders have also explore trading up from the No. 6 pick, per Russini. They could be looking to jump the Jaguars for Jeanty after doing extensive work on him during the pre-draft process.

Draft Rumors: Graham, Jaguars, Raiders, OL, Cardinals, Lions, Grant, Dolphins, Panthers

April 22nd, 2025 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The trendy Jaguars pick in mocks for weeks, Mason Graham may not be Duval County-bound after all. The Jaguars ranked 31st defensively last season (25th against the run), but they might be viewing No. 5 overall as too steep for the Michigan D-tackle prospect. Indeed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated during a TV appearance (h/t Action News Jacksonville’s Daniel Griffis) he does not expect Graham to be the Jags’ pick. The Michigan alum-turned-omnipresent news breaker making this prediction certainly carries weight, especially after reports of Ashton Jeanty being in play for Jacksonville (and Travis Etienne becoming a trade chip) surfaced to start draft week. Liam Coen also is believed to be high on this wide receiver class, Schefter adds, making a Tetairoa McMillan–Mike Evans connection re: the one-and-done Buccaneers OC. The Jags did plenty of retooling at the position this offseason, which would stand to keep them in play for an early-round WR — in a class most do not hold in high regard — to complement Brian Thomas Jr.

Graham likely would not fall too far, especially with teams not exactly clamoring to move into the top 10 for one of this draft’s non-Cam Ward QB options. Here is the latest from the draft:

  • If the Raiders‘ Jeanty aspirations do not come to fruition, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes that an O-line move would likely be in play. Missouri’s Armand Membou and Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. could be in play, per Breer, especially with seven-year left tackle Kolton Miller pursuing a new contract. (The Raiders hosted Banks on a “30” visit recently.) Even if Miller has a case for a raise, he was drafted a few regimes ago — even before Mike Mayock joined Jon Gruden — and could be a candidate to be replaced if the Raiders’ new power structure is displeased with his tactics. The Raiders used 2024 third-rounder DJ Glaze as their primary RT in 2024.
  • The Cardinals will also be a team to watch for an early O-line investment. They are believed to be focusing on adding a guard, ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss notes. The team re-signed left guard starter Evan Brown to a modest deal (two years, $11.5MM) but have a question at RG. Although Brown re-signing gives Arizona four returning O-line starters, the team may view the NFC nomad as a stopgap. That view would leave two guard holes to fill, though the Cards did use a third-round pick on a guard (Isaiah Adams) last year. More help appears to be desired, though.
  • Linked to bolstering their defense at No. 8 overall, the Panthers also are interested in acquiring more picks. They appear willing to use their top choice to do so, and Breer said during a radio interview (via Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan) the team would be willing to take a lesser offer for No. 8 to obtain more picks. The Panthers traded a second-round pick to the Bears (the last asset to be exchanged in the Bryce Young swap) but did pick up one from the Rams (in the Braden Fiske exchange) last year. Carolina also holds two fourth-round picks, the second coming from Dallas for Jonathan Mingo.
  • Graham college teammate Kenneth Grant is come up as a potential Florida-bound prospect, with Breer adding the stout D-tackle is believed to be drawing extensive interest from a Dolphins team doing a lot of DT work. Miami lost Christian Wilkins last year and did not spend much to replace him then or during this free agency period. Although cornerback is certainly a position of need in Miami — if/once the team trades Jalen Ramsey — the D-line appears a place to monitor in Round 1.
  • Despite rostering D.J. Reader and extending Alim McNeill, the Lions look to join the Dolphins in seeking interior D-line aid. Reader, though, will turn 31 in July while McNeill is coming off an ACL tear. Levi Onwuzurike also signed a one-year deal in March. Although the Lions still need an Aidan Hutchinson wingman, Breer hears more about their interesting in bolstering their D-line via a deep class.

Ashton Jeanty Could Be On Jaguars’ Radar; RB Still Top Bears Target

April 21st, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

During the pre-draft process, the Raiders have consistently been linked to Ashton Jeanty. The consensus top running back in the 2025 class is understandably seen by many as a strong candidate for the sixth overall pick, but other teams are worth watching on this front as well.

The Jaguars can be listed as a “sleeper team” regarding Jeanty, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (video link). Jacksonville is set to select fifth overall, and the team has often been connected to Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Taking that route is seen by many as the likeliest outcome, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. He adds, however, that selecting a skill-position player at No. 5 could be in play.

In that case, Jeanty would receive consideration. The Heisman runner-up enjoyed a hugely productive three-year career at Boise State, cementing his status as the most highly-regarded prospect in a deep running back class. Jeanty is widely viewed as a top-10 talent (at least), but the matter of taking a running back so high in the draft remains a topic of debate. An All-American in 2024 (just like Jeanty), Graham is seen as one of the safest prospects in the draft and could contribute right away along Jacksonville’s D-line.

If the Jaguars – now led by first-time general manager James Gladstone and rookie head coach Liam Coen – elect to avoid Graham and Jeanty with their top pick, a move down the board could be in order. Fowler’s colleague Adam Schefter lists Jacksonville as one of the teams interested in a trading back, something which will be difficult given the lack of blue chip prospects at the top of the order. If such a deal were to be made, though, the Raiders would remain in position to add Jeanty.

Such a scenario would come as no surprise, but Schefter notes a sense exists around the league that the Bears are “praying” Jeanty falls to them at No. 10. Chicago has done plenty of work at the running back spot during the pre-draft process, and the team is known to be high on the Maxwell Award winner. D’Andre Swift has one more year of guarantees on his deal, but adding Jeanty to the mix would give the Bears a two-pronged rushing attack not unlike the one new head coach Ben Johnson had with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery during his time as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.

In the event the Jags stand pat at No. 5 and draft Jeanty, Breer adds former first-rounder Travis Etienne could become a trade candidate. It would come as a surprise to many for that circumstance to emerge, but it is a possibility to watch for as the first round approaches.

NFL Announces 17 Prospects Attending NFL Draft

April 14th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

There will be 17 draft prospects waiting in the green room to hear their name announced next week. The NFL announced the players who will attend the first round next Thursday night in Green Bay:

When players commit to attending the first round of the draft, their respective camps have often been given some kind of assurance that they’ll be selected within the top-32 picks. Of course, that’s not a prerequisite, and as we’ve seen many times, there are some overly-confident prospects who subsequently endure the very-public waiting game.

Per usual, the most notable inclusions surround the QB position. Cam Ward is the favorite to go first-overall, and Shedeur Sanders (who is absent from this list) is also expected to be selected at some point in the first round. After that, the position is pretty uncertain, and that could lead to some awkward moments for the other QBs who decided to attend.

Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe have firmly established themselves in that next tier of QB prospects, and recent reports have indicated that they should be at least Day 2 picks. There haven’t been any definitive reports about their Day 1 candidacy, and while we shouldn’t read too much into the list of attendees, it is notable that both prospects believe they have a shot of going in the top-32 selections.

Jets To Host DT Mason Graham

April 14th, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets’ pre-draft work will include a top-30 visit with one of the most highly touted defenders in the 2025 class. D-tackle Mason Graham will head to New York tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Graham has long been regarded as the top defensive lineman available in this month’s draft, and to no surprise he has generated plenty of attention. The Michigan product has already met with the Patriots and Saints, and, more recently, the Browns and Raiders. Each of those teams are set to select in the top 10; the Jets currently own pick No. 7.

New York has done extensive work on Graham, Rapoport notes. The team formally met with the first-team All-American at the Combine, then had dinner with him the night before Michigan’s Pro Day. Coupled with this upcoming visit, that will give first-time general manager Darren Mougey and Co. plenty of information to work with when weighing their options in the first round. It remains to be seen if Graham will be available when the Jets are on the clock, given the connections made between him and teams like the Jaguars (set to pick fifth overall) and those which have previously hosted him.

Several options could be on the table for New York, a team which is known to be high on Penn State tight end Tyler Warren. Offensive tackle Armand Membou is also firmly on the team’s radar, and the Jets could look to trade down if the Missouri product is unavailable. Whether or not Graham is still on the board by that point will of course influence Mougey’s decision to move down the order or which prospect he selects if New York stays put at No. 7.

The Jets’ defensive interior will again be anchored by Quinnen Williams in 2025. The former third overall pick is attached to a $24MM-per-year deal, and he will remain atop a D-line depth chart which has seen plenty of turnover this offseason. Javon Kinlaw, Solomon Thomas and Leki Fotu each departed in free agency, while New York has added Derrick Nnadi, Byron Cowart and Jay Tufele on the open market. As the 2024 Outland Trophy winner, Graham would be expected to take on a key role right away within that group in the event he were to be selected by the Jets.

Raiders Arrange Visits With Shedeur Sanders, Will Campbell, Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger

April 10th, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Adam La Rose

Set to select sixth overall, the Raiders find themselves in an interesting position as the countdown to the draft continues. The team could go in several different directions, and a number of first-round options are being examined through pre-draft visits.

Vegas lined up a large number of top-30 visits yesterday, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports the group included LSU tackle Will Campbell and Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham. Both prospects are viewed in the tier below presumed No. 1 pick Cam Ward and the highly-regarded duo of Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. Depending on how the Patriots and Jaguars operate with the fourth and fifth selections, though, neither Campbell nor Graham may be available once Vegas is on the clock.

The Raiders’ work also included their previously-reported visit with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The Heisman runner-up has frequently been mentioned as a logical fit for Vegas given the team’s struggles on the ground last season and resultant need to find a long-term Josh Jacobs successor. Selecting Campbell or Graham instead would leave a vacancy in the backfield (at least until later in the draft), but it would help shore up the line of scrimmage for a team looking to rebound from a 4-13 season.

A large part of that effort has been the acquisition of quarterback Geno Smith. The trade sending him to the Raiders was recently followed by a two-year extension putting him on the books through 2027, but the team is still interested in exploring rookie signal-callers. Among those with a visit planned is Shedeur Sanders, per Breer. The Colorado passer’s Vegas meeting will take place on Monday, he adds.

Vegas has previously been connected to Sanders, whose stock remains a key talking point in advance of the draft. A fall out of the first round is not expected, but the strength of prospects at other positions for teams not immediately in need of a signal-caller could lead them in another direction. Still, the Browns and Giants have been linked to Sanders interest, and his visit with the Steelers (set to select 21st overall) today illustrates the extent of his list of suitors.

Sanders is not the only QB prospect being looked into. As Breer notes, Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Ohio State’s Will Howard were present yesterday, along with Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. Those three passers face a wide range of draft outcomes, but Dart has gained steam for first-round consideration. Ewers and Howard are more logical targets if Vegas – now led by head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Spytek and (to a notable extent) minority owner Tom Brady – plans to wait until after Day 1 to add a quarterback .

Also present for Wednesday’s prospect summit was Carson Schwesinger, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic. The UCLA product is seen as one of the top linebackers in the 2025 class, and he is slated to hear his name called sometime in the second round. Vegas owns pick No. 37, which could be used on Schwesinger based in part on how yesterday’s visit went. With respect to the team’s top selection, though, several options are on the table and are receiving consideration.

Michigan DT Mason Graham Adds Cleveland, Vegas Visits

April 6th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ely Allen

The draft’s top-ranked defensive tackle by several analysts continues to make the rounds with the teams in the top 10 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft. Michigan’s Mason Graham is certainly a likely candidate to come off the board early; the big question is just where exactly he’ll go. After taking visits with the holders of the Nos. 4 & 9 picks, Graham has added Cleveland and Las Vegas to his planned visits, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Cleveland visit, which is taking place tomorrow, is likely just the Browns doing their due diligence. The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick, and their choices have seemingly been needled down to Abdul Carter out of Penn State or Travis Hunter or Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado.

Miami’s Cam Ward is favored to come off the board at No. 1 overall to the Titans, leaving Carter, Hunter, and Sanders as possibilities for the Browns. With quarterback being viewed as a crucial need in Cleveland, Sanders has long been viewed as a strong possibility. Hunter has recently taken the odds as the betting favorite to land in Cleveland as a complimentary, impact weapon across from Jerry Jeudy on offense as a wide receiver.

The team just signed former Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to a record extension, but their defense did not house a strong pass rusher besides him in 2024. Currently Isaiah McGuire (2.5 sacks in 2024), Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (2.0), and Alex Wright (1.0) are set to lineup across from Garrett, so adding Carter would be huge.

The Browns also lost starting defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson to the Cardinals this offseason, so Graham could fit in as a new impact interior defender next to Shelby Harris. With Carter, Hunter, and Sanders all showing greater impact potential, though, it’s hard to see Graham heading to Ohio. If the Browns make a surprise decision to trade out of the No. 2 spot, though, Graham becomes an extremely viable option.

The Raiders, holders of the No. 6 overall draft pick, seem like a much more realistic possibility for Graham. Their visit will take place on Tuesday. Las Vegas saw an impressive 34 games missed from its expected top defensive line in 2024, and even if the line were fully healthy and it had a weak spot, it would be the second defensive tackle role. Graham would fit in beautifully next to Christian Wilkins between Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce.

The only thing that could suggest Graham doesn’t end up in Las Vegas is the fact that the Raiders have several other holes to address. Namely, running back, wide receiver, and secondary have been noted as areas that could use improvement.

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