Cleveland Browns first-round pick Mason Graham got off to an ignominious start during last week's mandatory minicamp but bounced back, impressing the coaching staff with his upside.
"I love Mason," defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire said on Thursday, via Browns Zone. "The thing I love about Mason, I think everybody heard he ate a little bit too much and he threw up that first day. But what a lot of people are not talking about is that the kid finished. He went back out there, puke and all, and finished the rep.
"But here's a kid that every day he got better. Every day he came out here, he's running to the ball as fast as he could. You see his rush game developing, you see him launching with hands. It's going to be hard obviously coming from a read scheme, going to an attack scheme. But he's done a really good job and he's great in the room, extremely smart individual, hardworking. So I can't wait to see him come out and play."
The Browns traded down from No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, eschewing the chance to select dual-threat Travis Hunter, and selected Graham at No. 5. Cleveland views the Michigan product as the ideal interior defender for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's system -- a player who can play in the backfield and disrupt both the run and passing game.
Going from a read-and-react to the Browns' attacking defense is a change, but the club believes it'll bring the best out of Graham.
"It's been an adjustment for him," Schwartz said earlier this month. "We're a penetrating team that makes a big emphasis on defensive linemen being able to make the plays. So there has been some growing pains. He's pretty far ahead right now. When we get pads on, that'll be the next step. And then when you go live contact, that'll be a next step. So it'll be a process for him.
"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."
A consensus All-American, Graham totaled nine sacks in three years at Michigan with 17 tackles for loss, 107 tackles, a forced fumble and three passes defensed in 39 games.
"I think he's hungry," star pass rusher Myles Garrett said last week. "He's pretty quiet, but I see him watching a lot. I see him learning and he's just really inquisitive, staying near to make sure that he hears every detail and just picking up on things. I see him taking things from the meeting room to the playing field, not really asking any questions but just naturally picking up on those, too."
The Browns view Graham as the ideal player to capitalize on the attention teams devote to Garrett on the outside. Over the past couple of seasons, Cleveland hasn't had up-to-par production from its interior penetration.
They believe that could change in 2025. When offenses slide the line toward Garrett, Graham can win one-on-ones with guards.
"And the best way to combat that is have a pass rusher that's on the opposite side that can make offenses pay for singling up a defensive tackle on a guard," Schwartz said. "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. We have to take better advantage of those situations than we did last year."
