CLEVELAND ā For the first time in four years, theĀ BrownsĀ had a first-round pick in the NFL draft, bringing the time-honored tradition of college prospect hype back to Cleveland.
Another time-honored tradition? The Browns trading down in the first round of the NFL draft, and the team decided to resurrect that bittersweet legacy Thursday night in the hopes of helping bolster their roster in the long run.
Slated to select No. 2 overall, the Browns instead struck a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to move down to the fifth pick in the first round. When Cleveland finally saw itself on the clock, General Manager Andrew Berry decided to take defensive tackle Mason Graham, a two-time All-American out of Michigan.
“They traded back for a reason. They wanted to pick me,” Graham told reporters after being selected. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity and I’m going to come in and do whatever it takes.”
As part of the trade, the Browns will also receive 2025 second and fourth-round picks along with the Jags’ first-round selection in 2026. Cleveland also sent 2025 fourth and sixth-rounders to Jacksonville.
After securing the second pick, the Jaguars selected two-way star Travis Hunter out of Colorado. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner had beenĀ pegged by most analysts to go to the BrownsĀ had they stood pat.
Instead, Cleveland opted to go with the 21-year-old Graham, whom Berry called “a DNA match for our defense.”
“We think he’s one of the premiere linemen in this draft on either side of the ball,” Berry said at his press conference. “He has the ability to be an excellent pass-rusher from the interior, and that’s really, really hard to find.”
In three seasons with the Wolverines, Graham 108 total tackles (18 for a loss) and nine sacks, and was named Defensive MVP of the 2024 Rose Bowl on the way to UM winning the College Football Playoff national championship. As a junior in 2024, he finished with 45 tackles, seven TFLs, and 3 1/2 sacks. He was a unanimous first-team All-American, as well as a finalist for the Outland and Bronco Nagurski trophies.
“My main goal is to come in and win,” Graham said of his competitive nature coming from a top program live Michigan. “I want to make this organization better, and me coming in here and playing along the front, I feel like it’s only going to make the team better.”