Mason Graham
Cleveland BrownsModel Score by season
Down 0.5 from last season.
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
STM Take
A top-pedigree interior lineman behind schedule after year one.
The case for
- 2024 Bednarik Award plus 2023 Michigan CFP National Championship plus the 5th overall draft slot establishes the highest IDL pedigree of his class.
- Year-one starter snaps for the Browns at age 22 alongside Myles Garrett gives him the developmental runway.
The worry
- Rookie tier 8 (#65) for a 5th overall pick is well below the year-one median for top-5 IDL prospects on Pro Bowl trajectories.
- Cleveland's broader defensive identity around Myles Garrett's primary pass-rush priority compresses Graham's structural snap share.
What to watch: Whether Graham crosses into tier 3 (top 25) in 2026, the standard year-two threshold for top-5 IDL picks on Pro Bowl trajectories.
Full take and bio
Rookie tier 8 (#65) for a 5th overall pick with the 2024 Bednarik Award plus 2023 Michigan CFP National Championship establishes the highest IDL pedigree of his class. The year-one finish is below the breakout-tier expectation for top-5 picks. The 2026 question is whether Graham crosses into tier 3-4 territory in his year-two jump or whether the structural rookie tier 8 finish flags real developmental concern.
Graham came out of Michigan as the Cleveland Browns' 1st-round pick (5th overall) in 2025 after winning the 2023 CFP National Championship plus earning the 2024 Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player. He was widely considered the best interior defender in his draft class. The Browns installed him alongside Myles Garrett. His rookie 2025 finish at tier 8 (#65) reflects the year-one developmental band even for top-5 IDL prospects.
Comps
The players whose size, testing and production looked most like his at the same point in their careers. The percent is how close.
Built like: Anthony Weaver, Darnell Dockett, Byron Young. Coming out: Matthew Butler, Jack Heflin, Jaden Crumedy.
Of his 20 closest coming out: 0 stars, 6 starters, 8 backups, 6 didn't stick.
Mason Graham Injury StatusQuestionable
Mason Graham is listed Questionable (Knee - MCL), reported Oct 20. Source: the official NFL injury report, refreshed daily.
This season · 4 games
Every game on the Game Log, every season on Career. Advanced numbers are EPA and Next Gen Stats.
Draft & College
Round 1, pick 5 to the Cleveland Browns in 2025, out of Michigan (Big Ten). He went about where consensus had him.
In college, 2022-2024, 42 games: 9.0 sacks, 17 TFL, 15 pressures, 102 tackles. Coming out: 5.1s 40 yd, 24 reps bench.