Browns No. 1 Pick Named to Preseason All-Rookie Team

Browns No. 1 Pick Named to Preseason All-Rookie Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

In this year’s NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns passed up on a chance to take Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter when they traded the No. 2 pick to Jacksonville for the No. 5 pick and other draft capital.

With No. 5, they selected Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, who was one of the best players in the country at his position and could be a perfect fit for the Browns’ defense.

NFL.com has selected Graham for its Preseason All-Rookie Team, as selected by writer Gennaro Filice.

“Graham’s NFL career, for better or worse, will always be compared to those of Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter,” Filice wrote. “Cleveland had its pick of those two at No. 2, but the Browns decided to trade down, collecting valuable draft currency and ultimately selecting this prospect crop’s top defensive tackle at No. 5. Top-five picks always face immense pressure to produce, but this juicy subplot brightens the spotlight. Working in Graham’s favor: He gets to line up alongside the force of nature that is Myles Garrett. And he was one of the cleanest evals in this draft class, as a former wrestler who consistently wins with leverage, heavy hands and a non-stop motor.

“I anticipate early game-wreckage, inherently spawning an unthinkable development: a whole bunch of Ohioans praising a Michigan man.”

General manager Andrew Berry thinks Graham could immediately help the Browns’ defense.

“He is a DNA match for our defense, a disruptive interior penetrator … we thought he was one of the more dominant trench prospects in this year’s class,” Berry said.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.

Browns No. 1 Pick Named to Preseason All-Rookie Team

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