The Jacksonville Jaguars need to beef up the defensive trenches in the 2025 NFL Draft after neglecting the unit in free agency. Thus, nobody is suprised that they've been linked to Mason Graham the past few months. And while the former Michigan Wolverine already proved that he can delivered, there's no guarantee at the college level will carry over into the pros.
The silver lining is that Graham's floor may not be nearly low as that of other prospects, at least according to Chris Trappasso of CBS Sports.
Trapasso recently took a look at some of the big-name prospects in this year's draft and compared them to similar players coming out of college who failed to pan out in the draft. In Graham's case, the CBS Sports analysts argues his would be similar to Sedrick Ellis, an intriguing defensive-tackle prospect who failed to make an impact for the New Orleans Saints in the 2000.
"His well-rounded skills and three seasons of consistency led to him being a top 10 pick in 2008.
In the NFL, Ellis' complete game was adequate, yet his lack of a true specialty ultimately doomed his chances of emerging as a long-term star with the Saints. He played his entire rookie deal -- five seasons -- in New Orleans, registering a grand total of 12.5 sacks then didn't play professionally again. "
For the sake of transaparency, Trapasso added a disclaimer, pointing out that this isn't his comparison but rather just an exercise for fun.
Ellis was the seventh overall pick in the 2008 draft. He made 70 starts in The Big Easy and registered 12.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. As Trapasso noted, the former USC Trojan didn't play for another team. Although he did sign with the Chicago Bears in 2013 only to retire a few days later.
All things considered, Ellis was a capable starter but not much else. Then again, he was probably better than Taven Bryan, another productive defensive tackle at the collegiate level who was underwhelming in the NFL.
But unlike Ellis, Bryan did go to the Jags with the 29th overall pick in the 2018 draft. The former Florida Gator appeared in 64 games for the Jags and registered 5.5 sacks. Two of them came in the Week 9 upset against the Buffalo Bills in 2021. While he's managed to continue his playing career, he's in the journeyman arc of his career.
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Mason Graham, like any other draft prospect, comes with a risk
Players' readiness in the NFL is always variable. Even prospects who get the "can't miss" label fail to pan out on a yearly basis. But that's a risk that clubs are willing to take, and that's why doing as much dilliigence as possible is essential. And while Mason Graham may not be the perfect player, he certainly did enough with the Wolverines to make you think that he'll succeed in the pros.
Graham routinely wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage and did it even though he doesn't have ideal arm length, arguably his biggest red flag. But precisely because he succeed in spite of it, he should find a way to be a dominant defensive tackle in the NFL. He's certainly has the size, strength, and burst to pull it off.
In Jacksonville, Graham would join a defensive-tackle rotation that includes Arik Armstead, Maason Smith, and DaVon Hamilton. While the trio is dependable, it's not good enough to take over game, which is why the Jags are looking to beef up the front four, general manager James Gladstone said as much after free agency.
It's unknown what route the Jaguars will take to make it happen, but if they want to go with the best defensive tackle in the draft, Mason Graham should be their guy at No. 5. And while there's a risk he could turn out to be like Sedrick Ellis, he could also become the game-changer Jacksonville desperately needs on the interior defensive line.
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