The Browns had a golden ticket in the draft with the second overall pick. Travis Hunter was sitting right there. The Colorado two-way standout, electric on both sides of the ball, appeared to be the clear choice for a team in dire need of top-tier playmakers. Instead, Cleveland took a diversion. They traded down, giving Jacksonville the rights to Hunter. They got three picks in exchange: a 2026 first-round pick from the Jags, running back Quinshon Judkins, and Mason Graham, their new defensive anchor.

Graham was the first-round fifth overall pick of the Browns in the 2025 draft. Originally from Michigan, this disruptive lineman was hired for the dirty work. Leverage, block-eating, and disruption. But as the team passed on a generational athlete like Hunter to pick a defensive tackle, every detail carries a little more weight. From training camp reps to grip strength tests. 

In their never-ending pursuit of social media interaction and locker room giggles, the Browns shared a video of players using a dynamometer to evaluate their grip strength. They posted on X: “gave our guys a try at the grip strength challenge 😂.” It began with a meat-cleaver 173 from Wyatt Teller. Julian Okwara scored a 196 with ease. Isaiah McGuire had a moment of self-doubt but rebounded from 146 to 197. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka held strong at 169. Then came Mason. He gave a squeeze. Looked down. Stopped. “I don’t know if that’s good,” he said, staring at a lonely 153. Spoiler: it wasn’t.  

Because the Browns think there is more. A lot more. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz didn’t sugarcoat it: “I do think there’s a lot of meat on the bone as far as his production, and we can see better production from him than even we saw, and he had outstanding production in college,” Schwartz said, via Cleveland.com. “But I think there’s some meat on the bone that he can even have a chance to make more plays here.” And he does. Like former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh once called Graham “a gift from the football gods.”

And the resume backs it up. Graham recorded 107 tackles, 17 for loss, and 9.5 sacks while playing in 39 games and starting 27 of them. He’s now the highest-drafted interior lineman in Michigan history, topping a recent list that already includes Kwity Paye, Aidan Hutchinson, and Mazi Smith. And now is the perfect moment to tap into that potential because standing next to Myles Garrett is like receiving a cheat code.

The Browns map out Mason Graham’s role in the defensive line

The Browns have already made it clear that 2024 wasn’t good enough, and training camp is just a month away. Even with Myles Garrett and other top players up front, the defense took a step back in takeaways and third-down stops. So they retooled. After locking Garrett in till 2030, they went shopping for interior and edge support. The unit gained some experienced expertise with the inclusion of Julian Okwara, Maliek Collins, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Then came the biggest move: drafting Mason Graham.

For a squad led by Jim Schwartz and using an attack-front strategy, Graham’s presence was more than just about size or power. It was about potential. The front office and Andrew Berry have already praised his athleticism, leverage, and hand usage. But Graham will have to prove that he can use his college traits to exert pressure on a professional level. The greatest way to describe it was by defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire: “If the pocket is getting collapsed by Mason, or whoever it is, if they are collapsing the pocket and we got the ends coming around on the edge, it’s a beautiful thing.”

But that “whoever” part matters. Because with names like Mike Hall Jr., Maliek Collins, Shelby Harris, and Jowon Briggs also in the interior rotation, Graham’s role isn’t handed to him. It’s earned. The Browns believe Graham can be their pocket-breaker. But until the pads come on and the depth chart sorts itself out, it’s still a projection. One being watched closely after a defensive drop to eighth in third-down percentage last season (36.2%). They want more disruption. More chaos. And Graham, the high-upside centerpiece of their draft, is officially on the clock.