Cleveland Browns Land Big Defensive Boost After Trading Down From No. 2

After a stunning trade down to No. 5, the Cleveland Browns chose Michigan's Mason Graham in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft

Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Mason Graham is selected by the Cleveland Browns as the number five pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There's a reason the NFL Draft has become a made-for-TV drama series over the years. Anything can happen.

That very much came to fruition on Thursday night, with Cleveland Browns delivering the first set of fireworks in the 2025 NFL Draft when they traded back from the No. 2 overall pick to No. 5 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Trading back once again became a real possibility for the Browns when they came up on the clock several selections later. Ultimately, though, general manager Andrew Berry stayed put and drafted Michigan's star defensive tackle Mason Graham.

At nearly, 300-pounds, Graham comes to the NFL as an absolute force in the trenches. The 21-year-old recorded over 100 tackles in three years as a key contributor at Michigan, particularly during the program's run to a national title in 2023.

The Mission Viejo, Calif., native concluded a memorable career with the Wolverines with 45 combined tackles, including seven for a loss and 3.5 sacks in 2024. He earned All-American honors in both 2023 and 2024 and was an All-Big Ten selection in each of those same seasons.

Graham will come to Cleveland with an opportunity to have an immediate impact, particularly while sharing the defensive line with 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.

For more than a month, Cleveland had been linked to Colorado's two-way star Travis Hunter, who wound up being Jacksonville's pick after trading up with the Browns. Ultimately, the opportunity to move back, still draft a starting caliber player and accumulate a wealth of draft capital became too good for Berry to pass up.

Following the move down the board, the Browns are well-positioned to still add a number of talented players in the coming days, with two second-rounders now at their disposal. They may even be well positioned to move back up into the first round because Thursday night is over.