Mason Graham (DL, Michigan) Film Study

An early look at what makes Mason Graham a top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The top of the consensus board features a pair of top defensive linemen for the 2025 NFL Draft. However, as of right now, Michigan Wolverines star Mason Graham should be considered the top DL in next year’s draft.

Graham was a 4-star high school recruit with legitimate interest from plenty of schools. But it’s unlikely that even the Wolverines expected him to have the kind of immediate impact that he had for the program.

A freshman All-American in 2022, Graham was a second-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection this past season. Along with a national title, he was named the Rose Bowl Defensive MVP after a dominant performance against Alabama.

The box score stats aren’t that exciting. Graham has 62 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble over two seasons. However, the film shows the kind of impact that Graham has had over the last few seasons, and why he should be considered DL1 heading into 2024.

What immediately stands out when watching Graham is how consistently he’s able to play with good pad level while forcing the issue at the point of attack. He launches into contact with his hips, winning leverage and controlling the one-on-one battle to allow himself to disengage despite what appears to be less-than-ideal arm length.

Even when Graham doesn’t necessarily dominate the point of attack, his play strength is able to kick in. It allows him to throw blockers off of him to make a play on the ball.

Because of that power in the trenches, opponents will start to overcompensate in preparation to handle Graham in the run game. This can allow him to utilize his short-area quickness and hand usage to catch blockers lunging, particularly with an effective swim move.

That hand usage also shows up when Graham is rushing the passer. While he doesn’t flash the explosiveness or bend of defensive ends or EDGE prospects, he has strong enough hands to overpower interior offensive linemen while getting disengaged.

When Graham puts this whole skill set together, he can be unstoppable in the trenches. Just look at how disruptive he is when eating up a double teams.

Not only does he hold his own on these, but he also showcases his ability to anchor down, even from disadvantageous angles.

On top of all of this strength and technique up front, Graham can also flash some legitimate explosiveness off of the snap. By staying low and firing out of his stance, he can get into the backfield unimpeded and wreak havoc.