Tag: Mason Graham

Browns land Best Player Available with pick No. 3 in new mock draft

The Browns land the lethal Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham in a new mock draft

The Cleveland Browns would love a quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft, but a new mock draft has them selecting Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham instead.

Why is that? Because Colorado’s duo of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and playmaker Travis Hunter are already off of the board. Instead of reaching for another quarterback like Miami’s Cam Ward, they opt for the BPA (best player available) approach.

And that road leads to the ultra-physical and explosive Graham who has been a havoc wreaker from the very first time he stepped on the field for the Wolverines. A new mock draft by Daft on Draft has the Browns taking him at pick No. 3.

He is currently second in all of college football in pressures with 32, sitting with a career-high five sacks as well.

While the Browns just selected Mike Hall Jr. in the second round last year, the rest of the defensive tackles on the roster are 30 or older or on expiring contracts. That room needs an infusion of young explosiveness, and Graham gives them that as one of the best players in the entire 2025 NFL draft.

Michigan DT Mason Graham named a ‘best fit’ for Giants

Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham has been named a “best fit” for the New York Giants in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL draft.

The New York Giants are currently slated to select second overall in the 2025 NFL draft and expectations are that they’ll lean quarterback and finally replace Daniel Jones.

But not everyone is sold on the upcoming quarterback class and some even believe the Giants would be better served by selecting a different position of need.

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report is one of those people, suggesting general manager Joe Schoen should target Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.

The idea of pairing Dexter Lawrence with Graham is downright frightening. Lawrence is already the game’s best interior defender, with the ability to completely take over games. The same applies to Graham at the collegiate level.

Graham currently ranks as Bleacher Report’s No. 2 overall prospect. He’s a disruptive 3-technique, with the strength and quickness to consistently reset the line of scrimmage.

As a result, the Giants can dominate the line of scrimmage and build the entire squad’s identity around their defensive front.

The Giants have been especially weak along the defensive interior when Lawrence is off the field. Opposing offenses routinely attack inside until Sexy Dexy returns, and that weakness has become increasingly glaring over the past several weeks.

Graham would match need with value, but can the Giants really afford to pass on a quarterback? Even if the overriding belief is that the 2026 quarterback class will be better than the 2025 class, there’s no guarantee general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll can hang onto their jobs that long.

However, if the Giants were able to find a talented bridge quarterback in free agency — Sam Darnold, perhaps — adding Graham to the defense and snagging a quarterback in 2026 might be the best-case scenario.

Of course, there are precious few fans out there who are willing to be that patient at this point. Can you blame them?

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Oregon vs. Michigan in-person scouting summary

2025 NFL Draft prospects from Oregon vs. Michigan in-person scouting summary

Oregon traveled to Michigan to face the Wolverines as a member of the Big Ten for the first time. The top-ranked Ducks proved worthy of the lofty ranking, sending the partisan crowd to the exits early in a 38-17 road win.

I was among those in the stands at the Big House, though I stayed until the end of this one. Unlike most games where I’m holed up in the press box, I watched this one from the fan section, behind the Oregon sideline on a sunny late afternoon that quickly faded into a chilly final evening of Daylight Saving Time.

Here’s what I took away from some of the 2025 NFL Draft prospects in the game.

Derrick Harmon

Harmon stood out from the very first Oregon defensive snap. The Ducks DT artfully dodged a (poorly executed) block and crashed into the backfield for an emphatic TFL. It was the first of several impressively disruptive plays the Michigan State transfer made on the day.

Harmon’s ability to strafe laterally and stay disengaged from blocking was devastating to the Michigan run offense. Harmon has quick eyes and quicker feet for his size, but he also flashed some real power and finishing acumen. His ability to find consistent success while lining up on either shoulder of the guards showed some positional versatility along the defensive interior that sure looks like it will translate to the next level quite well.

It was also impressive to watch him on the sidelines. Even though he’s new to the program, Harmon was quite enthusiastic in exhorting his Ducks teammates to not let up once the game started to get out of hand in their favor in the second half.

Mason Graham

Graham had a quiet day as a pass rusher, but at least some of that is attributable to how quickly Oregon throws the ball. The interior defensive line doesn’t have enough time to really impact all the quick swings and screens, and that was true of Graham in this game. He did, however, show some very nice stack-and-steer work at DT on inside runs.

The ability to get off a block with his powerful shoulders and then contribute to the tackle proved why he’s a legit NFL talent, though this was the second Michigan game I’ve been to this year (USC the other) where I was underwhelmed with his initial burst; he can do power or quick, but they don’t marry as well as other recent top DT prospects–or like Harmon on the Oregon side of the ball showed in this game.

Evan Stewart

Stewart’s best play of the game didn’t even count. The Oregon wideout made a spectacular one-handed stab in the end zone at full vertical extension and managed to contort himself so that he landed with one foot down for a would-be touchdown. Alas, it was wiped out by a penalty on Oregon. It was every bit as awesome as the Odell Beckham Jr. snag a few years back.

Even though that one didn’t count, seeing how dynamic Stewart was able to slice and dice the Michigan secondary over the middle and up the seams was impressive. He’s got a very good pacing to his route-running, and Stewart proved he’s got great hands, too. The Texas A&M transfer got a few looks in the slot, and that’s where I think his NFL future lies–even though he’s got the field-stretching speed on the outside. He played with more physicality than I expected for a 175-pound receiver, though it wasn’t always effective physicality.

Colston Loveland

Loveland was the best Michigan player on the field and basically the only effective offensive player for nearly the entire game. The polish on his receiving traits–routes, releases, hands, strength in traffic, transition from receiver to runner–was fantastic in this one. Oregon’s defense knew he was getting the ball and they still couldn’t stop him.

This game reaffirmed that Loveland is not an NFL-caliber inline blocker and it will take considerable work to get him to be even a passable blocking presence. But for teams looking for a multi-level receiving threat at tight end, Loveland proved in this one he’s best-in-class. The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder even showed ability aligning as the wide receiver in this one. Very impressive game from Loveland.

Dillon Gabriel

The well-traveled Ducks quarterback stood out for three primary things:

  • He’s visibly smaller in person; both the 6-0 and especially the 200 pounds he’s listed at seem quite generous.
  • The lefty has a lightning-quick release and the ball comes out with impressive exit velocity,
  • Gabriel is very good at mistake avoidance, making the best decision with the ball almost every time.

Gabriel has decent pocket mobility and proved on his touchdown scamper he can chew up yards quickly with his legs, too. His downfield arm strength was visibly lacking, however; he had two deeper throws that hung up in the air too long. Even in the warmups on the sideline, it was clear the zip doesn’t last long on his throws.

Kalel Mullings

Michigan’s sledgehammer of a running back had a very rough afternoon against the quickness of Oregon’s defense. Mullings lacks great vision and there is almost no lateral agility to his game. He’s still learning how to play running back, so there is upside for a 233-pound rolling sack of hammers, but he’s still quite green at the nuances of playing running back. Oregon was very effective at not letting him get north-south right away and negating his power. The first Duck to hit him got him down almost every time.

Will Johnson

The standout Michigan cornerback did not play. He’s still recovering from a foot injury suffered early in Michigan’s loss to Illinois on October 19th. Johnson has also missed time in 2024 with a shoulder injury suffered in the Wolverines’ win over USC.

 

 

Michigan star Mason Graham hopes to make Miller Moss throw the ball

Mason Graham very clearly said that he wants USC to throw the ball, and that he wants to force the Trojans to throw the ball in order to beat Michigan.

Mason Graham is a centrally important player on Michigan’s defense. Heading into this Saturday’s big game against USC, Graham was asked about what Michigan needs to do when the Trojans have the ball. Wolverines Wire collected Graham’s comments, which dealt with USC quarterback Miller Moss.

Graham said about Moss, “I just feel like he’s doing a good job, protecting the football, doing good things, playing within their offense, getting the ball to playmakers, letting them make plays,” Graham said. “And just feel like they’ve been able to run the ball consistently. So I feel like that’s something where we need to stop them and make them throw the ball and make them beat us throwing the ball.”

It’s true that if USC can run the ball, Michigan is in deep trouble. That might be why Graham is focusing more on run defense than pass defense. However, USC’s passing game is very capable. It made the big plays which led to a win over LSU. Miller Moss throwing the ball is not a bad thing for USC, provided he gets enough time in the pocket. We will see if Mason Graham’s analysis holds up.

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USC knows it will need to have an answer for Michigan’s Mason Graham

If USC can contain Mason Graham when it has the ball on Saturday, the chances of the Trojans beating Michigan will rise considerably.

When the USC Trojans line up against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, they know that when they have the ball, Michigan’s Mason Graham will try to cause chaos for the Trojans’ offense. Lincoln Riley discussed Graham heading into this game. Wolverines Wire passed along Riley’s quote on Graham:

Tremendous player was one of the guys that we attempted to get in on right when I got the job, really enjoyed him and his family. It was just one of those things. It was, it was too it was just too quick. There wasn’t enough of a relationship there, and he was far enough around down the road with those guys that, you know, it’s one of those things that things been earlier. Maybe it would have been different. Maybe it wouldn’t have but a ton of respect for him. I enjoyed the time I had with him here right when I got hired. And no surprise to me, to see the kind of player he’s become.

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Michigan defense focused on righting wrongs from Week 2 against USC in Week 4

The D will need to step up this week, big time. #GoBlue

The fear from Michigan football fans entering 2024 was that new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale would be a newer version of former embattled DC Don Brown.

The similarities don’t exist much outside of their penchant for pressure, as they’re schematically much different and Brown had some limitations within, whereas Martindale’s a bit more complex. However, we saw similar issues, particularly in Week 2 against Texas. Martindale is pressuring much more than his predecessors and that has caused some issues, but there have also been execution issues, players not being in the right places, et cetera.

Junior defensive tackle Mason Graham is confident that Martindale is scheming things up correctly on a per-game basis and that the blitz rate is contingent upon the opponent.

“I feel like it changes every week, depending on who we’re playing, it’s kind of goes week to week,” Graham said. “If he feels like he wants to blitz and we’re going to blitz and feels like that’s what’s up best for us, then that’s what we’re going to do. So, we have trust in him, supporting him. All the defense guys rally around each other, whatever, we all play together. So it’s kind of just trying to get the job done at the end of the day.”

The blitz rate is up about 20% from what it was last year, at least through three games. But given that there are multiple things to clean up defensively, sophomore edge rusher Cameron Brandt says that the onus is on the defense being better in terms of execution and that there isn’t pressure to rise back up to the defense’s lofty expectations.

“No, I wouldn’t say really pressure,” Brandt said. “Just making sure we’re again, setting our standard, making sure that’s all good, making sure (we’re) maintaining our pillars throughout everything. Feel like, yeah, maintaining our pillars, keeping things the same.”

Graham agrees, the pressure isn’t necessarily on to perform defensively. USC does provide both a test and an opportunity as it’s a high-flying offense that is the cornerstone of a highly-ranked team. If Michigan loses again, the chances that the Wolverines will make a fourth straight College Football Playoff appearance goes down significantly.

So there might not be pressure on one hand, but at the same time, lose on Saturday and the Wolverines’ goals in 2024 likely go out the window.

“I don’t think our backs are against the wall,” Graham said. “We just know, like, one more loss, we might be sitting on the couch watching TV if you lose another game. So that’s really not what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get back to where we were last year. So just kind of coming in here every day with that mindset and winning the next game.”

Michigan and USC will kick off at The Big House at 3:30 p.m. EDT and the game will be nationally broadcast on CBS.

Mason Graham stresses Michigan defense getting back to pillars vs. USC

This is gonna be a fun matchup! #GoBlue

Mason Graham knows a little something about playing football in both Southern California and in the state of Michigan.

Graham was a four-star recruit from Anaheim (Calif.) Servite, just 28 miles from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Michigan’s next opponent, USC, plays their home games. But this week, the Trojans will come play in Graham’s adopted home, and it’s a matchup he’s very much looking forward to.

“It’s pretty cool,” Graham said. “USC is a historic program a little different than coming from the West Coast to the Midwest. I know it was different for me, so it’s gonna be different for those guys as well. But I played against some of the guys growing up, familiar with their program, and it’s gonna be a good game, just trying to be 1-0.”

The Michigan defensive front hasn’t been quite as advertised this year, looking dominant in Week 1 but struggling against Texas in Week 2 and being pretty good in Week 3, but without much stats to make fans ooh and aah. The USC offensive line isn’t on the same level as that of the Longhorns, but it is a good group, and one that Graham knows will be tough to penetrate.

“Yeah, I feel like they work well together,” Graham said. “Obviously a great group. Their offense goes a lot with how they do. They have a lot of playmakers on their side of the ball, and obviously we need to do a good job containing that and playing Michigan defense and executing our pillars.”

While USC is also working in a new quarterback, it’s been a much more seamless transition for the Trojans compared to that of the Wolverines.

Michigan will be starting Alex Orji for the first time but Miller Moss will be starting in his third game, his second this season. Taking over for former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, Moss has eclipsed more than 300 in his first start of the season — a neutral site game against LSU — picking up where he left off in the bowl game against Louisville a year ago.

Graham says that the biggest thing for Moss is that he doesn’t turn the ball over (he’s thrown one interception compared to 11 touchdowns in his college career) but it will be incumbent on Michigan to contain the run game and force Moss to beat the Wolverines passing the ball.

“I just feel like he’s doing a good job, protecting the football, doing good things, playing within their offense, getting the ball to playmakers, letting them make plays,” Graham said. “And just feel like they’ve been able to run the ball consistently. So I feel like that’s something where we need to stop them and make them throw the ball and make them beat us throwing the ball.”

Michigan and USC will kick off at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday with the game being nationally broadcast on CBS.

Texas-Michigan scouting preview: Big matchups to watch for the 2025 NFL Draft

Texas and Michigan each have many good 2025 NFL Draft prospects, and several will be facing off against one another in Saturday’s big matchup

One of the most anticipated college football matchups of the season will kick off on Saturday afternoon when the Texas Longhorns make their first-ever visit to the state of Michigan to play the host Wolverines in Ann Arbor. All 32 NFL teams are expected to be in attendance to watch the second-ever meeting between the two powerhouse programs, the only prior one coming in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

This one is a scouting bonanza, with several prominent 2025 NFL Draft prospects set to take the field against one another. Texas has 16 players featured on the preseason Senior Bowl watchlist. Michigan touts 14 on the same list.

Some of those top prospects will face off against one another on Saturday. Here’s some of the key draft scouting matchups to watch when Michigan and Texas get it on.

Isaiah Bond vs. Will Johnson

Two potential first-rounders square off on the outside with Bond, an Alabama transfer, coming off an impressive Texas debut. He caught five passes in the Longhorns’ romp over Colorado State, smartly working the middle of the field and showing off nice short-area quickness on the outside. Bond had no trouble getting open last week, though he did have one drop.

Johnson might be the best coverage corner in the country. His size, physicality and ball skills are all elite. Interestingly, Fresno State went at him a little and found some success early on comeback routes. Johnson made them pay with a game-sealing pick-six that showed his anticipation and closing burst, traits that have Johnson almost universally regarded as a top-15 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Bond’s quickness and spritely physicality for a smaller wideout make him a compelling challenge for Johnson.

Quinn Ewers vs. Rod Moore and Makari Page

Ewers is the man throwing the ball to Bond, and he looked very good in the opener. Going into the season, I had concerns about Ewers’ handling pressure and willingness to let it fly with his rifle of a right arm. He didn’t face much pressure, but against the Rams, I thought Ewers saw the field well and showed some chutzpah in staying with his best read.

Moore and Page are a seasoned safety tandem that comfortably works together. Moore is a potential Day 2 pick who considered declaring for the 2024 draft. Page is more of a Day 3 prospect but one with versatility, capable of playing deep coverage or lining up as a slot corner. They’re both smart and sleek in coverage, presenting a difficult test for Ewers as a pocket passer.

Ewers can also run a little, and that puts an onus on the Wolverines safeties to not abandon their responsibilities there, too. The Michigan interior DL tandem of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, both likely first-round picks in 2025, figure to flush Ewers out of the pocket. Ewers will tuck and run, but he does have the arm strength to unleash a deep throw outside the pocket too.

Kelvin Banks vs. Josaiah Stewart and Derrick Moore

Banks pitched a shutout at left tackle in Texas’ win over Colorado State, but Michigan brings two potential ’25 draftees to the pass rush party. Josaiah Stweart bagged two sacks in Michigan’s win over Fresno State, while Derrick Moore tallied five official QB pressures from PFF’s metrics.

Both Moore and Stewart move around the formation. That means Banks will face different styles and speeds of pass rushers in the game game, a great test for the potential first-rounder. For Moore, it’s an opportunity to show his game is growing by facing off against an accomplished blocker like Banks. Stewart, the better-regarded of the Wolverines prospects, needs to show he can handle Banks’ considerable size in the run game.

It figures to be a great atmosphere and scouting matchup for fans of any team to watch at noon on Saturday.

 

Vikings get secondary help in latest 2025 Mock Draft from PFF

The Minnesota Vikings secondary remains a question mark for the defense heading into 2024, despite the signing of Stephone Gilmore.

The Minnesota Vikings secondary remains a question mark for the defense heading into 2024. Despite the signing of Stephone Gilmore, there is a lot to be desired with the cornerbacks. They have pieces but lack someone who can be the leader of the group for years to come.

One way the Vikings can solve it is by taking advantage of what is projected to be a high draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

One of the solutions was mocked to the Vikings by Connor Rogers on PFF’s NFL Stock Exchange podcast. They had their first mock draft of the season and projected cornerback Benjamin Morrison from Notre Dame to be their selection.

Players like Mason Graham, Will Johnson, and Travis Hunter who all play at positions of need were unavailable. Worth mentioning though, Graham was taken one spot before their mock by the Cardinals.

Pro Football Focus projects the Vikings to finish with the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Enow Etta ‘is ready to excel’ with expanded role for Michigan football

He’s been the biggest hype beast all offseason. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There are few players who have gotten more hype for Michigan football in and around Ann Arbor than second-year defensive tackle Enow Etta.

Etta was the talk of spring and those accolades behind the scenes have continued into fall camp. Once an edge rusher, Etta bulked up and prepared to move inside this season, and he’s learning from the best that the Wolverines have to offer.

“Enow is doing a lot of good stuff,” junior defensive tackle Mason Graham said. “I feel like he’s going to be a player for us that is going to get a lot of snaps, and I feel like he’s ready to excel and show what he’s done this offseason the whole time he’s been here.”

Graham would know how much Etta has improved. Not only is he a star player in his own right, but he’s taken him under his wing.

Defensive line coach Lou Esposito likes the way that Etta is being proactive and professional about his business this offseason. Even though he’s all but ensured that he’ll be in heavy rotation this fall, he’s seeking out more knowledge and information — from both his teammates as well as his coaches.

“The last two weeks of camp, he came over and met. I didn’t ask him, didn’t say anything. He just came over and met with me and met with me and met with me,” Esposito said. “Came in yesterday before class, met with me. Meets with Coach Lewis. He’s becoming a sponge, football-wise.

“And I really think the most impressive thing was, we talked about Mason, there was a day in practice where Mason and I walked in the D-line room, and Mason and Enow were in there with the door shut, and they were just watching film. Mason was coaching him and Enow was, like, writing notes down, writing notes down, writing notes down. And Mason was saying the same message.

“He handled it pretty good,” Graham said. “He latched on to a lot of us, older guys, the coaches, and really invested a lot of his time and wanted to role inside. So that’s what he chose to do.”

According to Esposito, that attention to detail and yearning for knowledge should pay off greatly this year. That’s what the best do, in Esposito’s eyes, as they’re more than physical specimens — they’re students of the game.

“He wants to learn football,” Esposito said. “Those young guys, I talked about the football IQ, about the guys here. The older guys that have played in games, their IQ is up here. The young guys, we got to keep moving it up. And even the older guys, there’s still room to improve. But the willingness to do that is second to none. That’s why they’ve been successful. One of the many reasons why they’ve been successful here.”

Fans will get their first opportunity to see Etta in action on Saturday when Michigan takes on Fresno State in the season opener.