Mason Graham NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Michigan DL

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 318 lbs

POSITIVES

— Impressive movement skills for his size and a quick get-off to get penetration, especially when slanting.

— Takes on blocks with a wide base and has plenty of strength to hold his ground one-on-one. Solid versus double teams and combo blocks, too. Can also fight back against pressure to avoid getting washed.

— Has the upper body strength to get extension against offensive linemen and gain control of the block when he lands his hands.

— Can collapse the pocket as a bull rusher when he keeps his pads down.

— Shows a decent hand-swipe move and can catch offensive linemen leaning with a swim move. Also can be effective as the looper in line games with his agility.

— Has fluid hips as a pass-rusher to clear his lower half and get clean wins.

NEGATIVES

— Lacks some height and appears to have shorter arms for an elite-level prospect.

— Has a habit of standing up out of his stance and pad level is sub-par overall.

— Still learning how to consistently use his hands as a pass-rusher.

NOTES

— Born Sept. 9, 2003

— 4-star recruit in the 2022 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2023 (Broken Left Thumb, missed 2 games, played with club/cast)

— 2023 Second-team All-American; First-team All-Big Ten; Rose Bowl Defensive MVP; Academic All-Big Ten

OVERALL

Mason Graham has the potential to be one of the best defensive tackle prospects to come out of college in the last few years. His lack of elite size and length will keep him from being in the same category as Jalen Carter, but the Michigan product's combination of strength and athleticism gives him a high ceiling as a pro.

Graham is quick off the ball to put pressure on offensive linemen immediately and has the agility to throw off linemen's angles when slanting. He's very effective when slanting to get penetration in the backfield, and he has the strength and physicality at the point of attack to control blocks when taking them on straight up.

Against combo blocks and double teams, the Wolverine's sub-par pad level will occasionally cause him trouble, but he's also shown the ability to absorb contact and hold ground when he keeps his pads down. He's even made a few plays while taking on double teams.

As a pass-rusher, Graham is still learning how to use his hands consistently and his lack of top-tier arm length might be a bigger issue at the next level.

However, he has the movement skills to develop a good arsenal of pass-rush moves and has already flashed a decent hand-swipe and swim move. Also, he has the strength to collapse the pocket as a bull rusher when he uses good leverage.

Schematically, Graham would be best as a 3-technique but he can line up as a 4- to 5-technique if needed. Michigan has been moving him up and down the defensive line so far this season, which has helped increase his position versatility.

GRADE: 9.1 (Top-10 player)

OVERALL RANK: 2

POSITION RANK: DL1

PRO COMPARISON: Christian Wilkins

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.