There once was a time when it looked like Mason Graham was a borderline lock to be drafted in the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft, with the Jacksonville Jaguars his absolute floor.
On paper, it makes sense, right? Graham was an absolute force at Michigan, is the top interior rusher in this year’s class, and could provide that much-needed three-tech rusher most teams around the NFL are looking for, especially if Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter go off the board at one and two.
And yet, after turning in an underwhelming showing at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, with the massive Michigan tackle coming in at under 300 pounds with very short arms, some have wondered if Graham’s status as a near-blue chip prospect could be over, with his stock falling down boards as a result.
Well, in his latest mock draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein followed that rationale, with Graham not coming off the board until pick 11 to the San Francisco 49ers due to his underwhelming showing in Indianapolis.
“Graham doesn’t offer the eye-popping traits that some prospects possess, but he’s very safe and fits what the 49ers are looking for,” Zierlein wrote.
Goodness, did Graham’s 32-inch arms really drop him six spots in the draft from his widely expected floor with the Jaguars, especially with Shader Sanders still on the board in that particular situation? In this situation, sure, but that doesn’t mean Zierlein can’t become an elite rusher at the pro level, as the NFL.com analyst believes he has Christian Wilkins-level potential in Las Vegas.
Lance Zierlein still believes Mason Graham has star potential
Evaluating Graham for NFL.com, Zierlein noted that in his eyes, Graham is one of the top players in this year’s class, as he just has too many tools not to give interior linemen trouble.
“Three-technique who provides activity, effort, strength, and quickness. Graham’s first-step quickness makes interior disruption inevitable. He has the instant read and response to regularly beat lateral blocks. He’s stout at the point of attack with great leverage and body control but will lose some ground against double teams,” Zierlein wrote.
“Graham’s lack of length makes it tougher for him to find quick wins as a rusher, but he more than makes up for it with his activity level and foot quickness. Harmonious hands and feet are the catalyst for his edge-to-edge counters, while his extended effort and closing burst help him get home. He may not dominate as a pro, but his strength, body control, and quickness should allow him to play his brand of ball and become a good starter in an upfield defensive front.”
Could Graham fall down boards because he’s a bit smaller than many scouts expected? Potentially so, but whether he goes fourth or 14th, one thing is clear: Graham is a beast rushing over opposing guards, and whichever team nabs him is going to have one heck of a player for a very long time.
The post Michigan’s Mason Graham predicted to tumble down draft boards after disappointing combine appeared first on ClutchPoints.
