Cleveland Browns rookie predicted to win Defensive Rookie of the Year

The Cleveland Browns entered the 2025 NFL Draft with the second overall pick, and could have had either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, but the Browns chose to trade back and select Michigan DT Mason Graham. Cleveland will now pair Graham up with one of the best edge rushers in the game, Myles Garrett.

Carter is the likeliest option to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, but ESPN's Mike Tannenbaum likes Graham's chances of winning it next season.

I love Graham as a prospect and with Myles Garrett facing double teams most of the time, Graham will have a lot of one-on-one opportunities. Graham finished with 3.5 sacks and 26 pressures at Michigan last season, which is tremendous productivity from an interior defensive lineman.
Mike Tannenbaum

Mason Graha — Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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In his three years in Ann Arbor, Graham walked away as a two-time All-American. His relentless motor, ability to get into the backfield, and underrated ability to get to the QB made Graham one of the safer picks in the draft. Drafting a DT early is never the sexy pick, but the Browns will be able to build around him for years to come.

While Graham is one player predicted to win the major award, one analyst wasn't a fan of his counterpart getting picked when he did. The Miami Dolphins selected Kenneth Grant with the 13th pick. Most analysts had Grant going toward the end of the first round, but Miami liked his athleticism and ability to get into the backfield. While Miami liked him, ESPN's Matt Miller had the pick as the 'most head-scratching' pick.

This was both a poor value -- Grant was an early-Round 2 player for me -- and a luxury, given the Dolphins' needs at cornerback and safety. Grant is certainly a good player, but the value just felt off.
Matt Miller

Graham might have gotten most of the attention during their time in Ann Arbor, but make no mistake that Grant was a large reason Michigan had the run defense it had. Teams had to double Grant, and when he got loose -- he made them pay.

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