Jeremiah on Projected Jaguars Pick: ‘Block Destruction’

Daniel Jeremiah on Thursday described the 2025 class as a starter’s draft. The starter he has headed to Jacksonville at No. 5 is Michigan’s Mason Graham.

“Some positions maybe don't have that superstar that we’ve had in years past,” Jeremiah told reporters on Thursday, “but we do have a boatload of starters, particularly the defensive line.”

And the defensive line is as deep as it’s ever been. Jeremiah said that last year he rated only 12 defensive tackles as potential starters in the NFL. This year, he lists 24. The defensive tackle at the top of his list is Graham.

Jeremiah said he fell in love with Graham’s tape over the first half of last season. Then, along with high-level scouts and NFL GMs, he saw Graham in person against Oregon on Nov. 2 in Ann Arbor. Suddenly, compared to 6-foot-3, 339-pound Kenneth Grant, second thoughts crept in about Graham.

“We're walking down there, and I see Mason Graham walk by,” Jeremiah said. “Of course, he’s next to Kenneth Grant, his teammate, who looks like he's a cartoon character. He's an Adonis how big he is. I'm looking at Mason Graham and body type, and I'm like, ‘Gosh, maybe I need to adjust my grade. Maybe I'm just too high on this guy.’”

“Then I proceeded to watch the game, and I was like, ‘Nope, nope. He's just really, really good.”

What makes Graham really good is elite leverage, balance and instincts, Jeremiah explained. He’s never on the ground and routinely beats blockers underneath, capitalizing on his wrestling background.

“I just wrote down when I was looking at my notes, I had ‘block destruction’ written down so many different times. He's just a real aggressive player who’s got instincts and can dominate the game against the run, and I think has more to offer as a pass rusher.”

So, as the combine approaches, prepare to hear doubts about Graham. He may not pass the eye test next to other prospects. He doesn’t appear on the Freaks List, and may not test off the charts. But the 6-3, 320-pound lineman could be a Day 1 fit in the middle of the Jaguars’ defensive front under new coordinator Anthony Campanile.

And if Graham can collapse the middle with his pass rush, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker could dominate on the outside. That’s a recipe for Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence success.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.