From tossing up in his helmet to making highlight reels, the 21-year-old Browns DT is already showing range in this training camp. But make no mistake, for Kevin Stefanski, he is a crucial missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle he had once mastered. Their once-dominant defense vanished last season without warning. After leading the league in 2023, the falloff was hard to ignore. Subsequently, one word that jumps to mind: inconsistency. Now, the defensive roster has the promise to become Stefanski’s crown jewel after the O-line mess he has (unintentionally) created. Indeed, a new highlight reel has originated from Berea.

The reason why it is important and why the front office made an early pick (5th overall) in a defensive player was simple. Cleveland’s defense saw a steep decline from its 2023 dominance. In fact, the unit dropped from first in yards per play allowed at 4.6 to 23rd in 2024, surrendering 5.6 yards. Moreover, their total QBR allowed went from league-low to seventh-highest at 59.2. Enter Mason Graham, who is adapting from Michigan’s block-holding scheme to Cleveland’s attack-first mindset. So far, his transition has made waves.

A recent video from training camp showcased Graham bullying Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller. The X post read, “WOW: #Browns rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham DOMINATED Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller at practice today.👿👿👿 Graham was the 5th overall pick and looked scary today.” Considering Teller’s three straight Pro Bowl selections from 2021 to 2023, that one-on-one win turned heads fast. Although training camp reels are a bit too premature to be dissected, they are still impressive to fans, considering the opponent.

A surprise draft-day move sent the No. 2 pick to Jacksonville in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder. The result? A quieter drop to land, 2025 draft Mason Graham. With Dalvin Tomlinson released and Maurice Hurst not re-signed, Graham has a lane to shine early.

Graham wasn’t a sack machine at Michigan, never tallying more than 3.5 in a season. But defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz believes there’s more in the tank. “Some meat on the bone,” as he put it. With Myles Garrett demanding constant attention off the edge, interior linemen are bound to get 1-on-1 chances. Schwartz and Stefanski are determined not to waste them this year.

The blueprint is clear. Graham is the counter to Garrett’s strike. The Browns want his inside pressure to break pockets. “I feel like everyone sees that there’s a lot of attention on Myles all the time,” Graham said on July 24. That traffic to Garrett opens lanes for others. Graham has to attack those seams.

Schwartz added, “You’re closer to the quarterback when you’re a tackle. But there’s only a few ways you can really combat a defensive tackle. And one of those is the center slide. And if the centers always slide into Myles, that provides a lot of opportunities for a player there.” The challenge now is capitalizing on that chaos. Year 1 has only just begun, but expectations for Graham are already sky-high.

Now the question is, how is he handling a different playbook?

Mason Graham is grappling with sky-high expectations

Mason Graham has wasted no time since draft day. In just a few months, he’s grinding to meet the hype. The rookie has his own bar set high. “I have those expectations for myself. It’s just not people saying that about me,” Graham said. “I’m just trying to get better and, like I said, trying to make an impact in our first game.” The spotlight, glitz, and money have always been there. Now it’s about mastering the Browns’ playbook.

At Michigan, Graham operated in a read-and-react setup. Jim Schwartz has indeed changed that role. Hence, Graham is now in an attack-first, gap-shooting scheme. He’s focused on stripping away old habits and syncing with the Browns’ belief in him being their pocket breaker. “A lot of times in the defense, you stop your feet on contact,” Graham said. “Here, you just keep running your feet nonstop. It’s really just the muscle memory.” Translation: Particularly, footwork is key.

The man, who hadn’t missed a game since arriving as a freshman in the class of 2022, is no stranger to hard work. Off the field, the rookie is reshaping his frame. An Instagram post from @nflprime called out the grind. “Mason Graham is down to his lightest weight yet at 292 pounds,” it said. That’s a major cut from 320 at Michigan and 305 at rookie minicamp. The post even added he is “working his butt off.”

Even in his college role, Graham’s raw power stood out. Defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire saw it early. “When you see a guy start penetrating (the offensive line) and he’s in a read scheme,” Cesaire said, “and I’m not talking one yard, I’m talking about three, four, five yards in the backfield – getting tackles for losses or setting other people up to make play, that’s when you’re like, this kid can do what we’re going to ask him to do.” Seems to be a good sign for the Browns.

For the Browns to return to their 2023 defensive dominance, Mason Graham’s rise will be critical. The roster is relying on new faces and returning players to elevate quickly. The margin for error is thin.