Patriots draft profile: Mason Graham has game-wrecker potential along the defensive line

Scouting report for the Michigan defensive lineman, who projects as a top 10 selection in this year’s draft.

Signing the likes of Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga as free agents, and keeping Jeremiah Pharms Jr. on a two-year contract extension, the New England Patriots invested heavily in their defensive tackle rotation this offseason. Those three plus Christian Barmore and Keion White form the core of the position, and a pretty solid one at that.

On paper, the need to spend high-end draft resources to add to the group is miniscule. That does not mean the Patriots won’t consider the top interior defensive lineman available once they are on the clock at No. 4 overall.

Hard facts

Name: Mason Graham

Position: Defensive tackle/Interior defensive line

School: Michigan

Opening day age: 22 (9/2/2003)

Measurements: 6’3 1/2”, 296 lbs, 78 1/2” wingspan, 32” arm length, 9 1/8” hand size, 24 bench press reps, N/A Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Michigan (2022-24)

Career statistics: 39 games (27 starts) | 1,293 defensive snaps, 104 special teams snaps | 107 tackles, 8 missed tackles (7%), 17 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery | 76 quarterback pressures (9 sacks, 20 hits, 47 hurries) | 1 special teams tackle, 1 field goal block

Accolades: Consensus All-American (2024), First-team All-Big Ten (2023, 2024), Rose Bowl Defensive MVP (2023), Second-team All-American (2023), Freshman All-American (2022)

A multi-sport athlete growing up, Graham played both defensive and offensive line during his time at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA. He generated some early buzz as a four-star recruit, and initially committed to Boise State in July 2021. However, interest really took off early in his senior campaign and he ended up receiving several Power 5 offers — including from the University of Michigan, who managed to flip him.

Graham started two games as a true freshman before becoming a fixture along Michigan’s defensive line in his sophomore season. A first-team All-Big Ten selection both of his seasons as a starter, he was arguably the most disruptive and important defender on the Wolverines’ 2023 National Championship squad.

He decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. Graham was invited to the Scouting Combine, where he met with the Patriots’ staff; he also visited Gillette Stadium later in the process.

Draft profile

Expected round: 1 (top 10) | Consensus big board: No. 5 | Patriots meeting: Combine + 30 visit

Strengths: Despite not standing out from a size perspective, Graham was a menace along the Wolverines’ defensive line who showed steady improvement each of his three seasons in Ann Arbor. His compact build gives him a natural leverage advantage over offensive linemen, and he has shown the knows how to make the most out of it; Graham rarely gets squared up as a pass rusher and run defender, keeping his pad level low and his hands active to power through single blocks.

Graham is a nimble athlete, who is lightning-quick out of his stance and capable to keep his feet driving through contact (and in turn dent the pocket up the middle). He also moves well laterally, which allows him to be a factor on line games and allows him to line up all over the defensive line; he is best suited as either a 3- or 4i-technique but also is comfortable aligning on the nose or as a 5-tech over the tackle’s outside shoulder.

Graham’s versatility as a pass rusher extends to the run game as well. He is an instant processor who is not easily fooled by misdirection concepts, as well as a capable stack-and-shed blocker. He has a stout anchor, but also offers the quickness to shoot gaps or exploit angles against zone schemes. Adding to that is a motor that seemingly never runs cold; Graham turns it on as soon as the ball is snapped and never turns it off until the final whistle even when playing a high number of snaps.

Weaknesses: Graham knew how to work around it in college, but he does lack elite size at the defensive tackle position. His height falls into the 60 percentile for interior defensive linemen entering the draft since 1999, while all of his other metrics — weight (26), wingspan (25), arm length (12), hand size (7) — are well below average in the Mockdraftable database.

Besides his size, Graham has been up and down versus double blocks and at times caught not keeping his feet below him leading to balance issues. He also does not have the most proficient toolbox as a pass rusher, and could benefit from a better attack plan.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Graham projects as a starter-level interior defensive lineman, capable of playing multiple techniques up front against both the run and the pass. He spent most of his college career as a 3-technique, and has the skillset to become a three-down contributor early in his career.

What is his growth potential? Entering the NFL with only 1,293 defensive snaps on his college résumé, Graham should become even better at play recognition and a more nuanced pass rusher with more experience. His floor is already very high, but his ceiling is what makes him a likely top 10 pick in the draft: Graham has All-Pro potential and could be an anchor along the New England defensive line for years to come.

Does he have positional versatility? No matter how you look at it, Graham is a fairly versatile defender. He can be used against the run and the pass, play multiple techniques along the defensive line, and be a factor in the kicking game. There is not much more you can ask from a defensive tackle.

Why the Patriots? Adding Graham to a unit already featuring the likes of Christian Barmore, Milton Williams and Keion White would give New England one of the most disruptive interior defensive lines in the game. Opposing offenses trying to figure out who to block 1-on-1 among those four would be a sight to see, and in turn help make up for potential shortcoming elsewhere on defense.

Why not the Patriots? Adding Graham to a unit already featuring the likes of Christian Barmore, Milton Williams and Keion White would be a luxury. Sure, the game-wrecking potential is obvious but the needs at other positions such as left tackle or outside wide receiver loom large compared to the interior D-line.

One-sentence verdict: The idea of the Patriots rolling out a Graham-Barmore-Williams-White front is enticing, even though it would mean relying on the second tier of prospects to fill the left tackle need.

What do you think about Mason Graham as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.