Wolverine Digest

Too Risky: Ex-pro lineman sounds alarm on Michigan's Mason Graham ahead of NFL Draft

While most analysts view Michigan's Mason Graham as a top 5 pick in the NFL Draft, one former player says it's too much of a risk.
Chris Breiler|
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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When it comes to the world of sports, everyone is entitled to their own opinion - even if that opinion is awful. In fact, awful opinions in sports are commonplace these days with the number of folks who now use social media platforms to amplify their own views.

That was the case this week when former NFL offensive lineman Dave Widell made an appearance on on the 1010 XL radio show in Jacksonville. Widell is a former 4th round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, and he spent a decade in the league playing for the Cowboys (1988-89), Broncos (1990-94), Jaguars (1995-97), and Falcons (1998).

Discussing the Jags' No. 5 pick in the first round of this year's draft, Widell cautioned against the idea of drafting Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham.

“Mason Graham had two outstanding games this year,” Widell said. “He had issues throughout his most important collegiate football season. And I would never, never risk a fifth pick overall on a player like Mason Graham, even though we could use the help at interior defensive line.”

It's safe to say that the vast majority of analysts view Mason Graham completely differently.

Projected as a top 10 pick, Graham is a game-wrecker who possesses elite speed and power. He's a two-time All-American and was named a unanimous first team All-American last season. He appeared in 39 games and made 27 starts on the defensive line for the Wolverines, and there's no question he was the most impactful player for one of the top defensive line units in the country.

So while Widell is cautioning against using the No. 5 overall pick on Graham, it sounds like it's a very realistic possibility that the Jaguars do in fact target the Michigan standout.

Rhett Lewis of NFL.com thinks Graham to the Jags makes the most sense.

"A popular mock draft projection, this [Mason] Graham-Jags pairing certainly makes sense. And it really hits home when you think about new GM James Gladstone’s background with the Rams, as he saw firsthand how L.A.’s defense was transformed by the recent selections of Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Braden Fiske."

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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