Could Mason Graham Be a Possibility for Dolphins?

What if the Miami Dolphins got one of the five best players in the 2025 NFL draft to fall to them at pick 13?

Well, ESPN’s Peter Schrager’s first and only mock draft had the Dolphins selecting Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham 13th overall.

“Graham has been viewed as a likely top-five pick for the past few months, and he could still go there,” Schrager wrote. “If he falls to No. 13, this is a nice win for Miami, who would be getting a Day 1 culture-changer and a can't-miss prospect.”

Schrager’s opinion is worth paying extra attention to, as he is well connected in NFL circles, and he accurately predicted the Dolphins’ selection of Chop Robinson last season. Not many analysts had the Dolphins taking Robinson, so Schrager nailing that pick is pretty impressive.

We’ve mostly avoided discussing Graham on the Dolphins because he’s been slotted to go in the top 10 of mock drafts for the entire pre-draft cycle. Most analysts have Graham off the board by seventh overall, and he’s usually ranked inside the top five of most big boards.

Since some believe Graham could fall to the Dolphins, let’s look at his scouting report and fit in the Dolphins’ defense.

Mason Graham Scouting Report

Strengths

● NFL-ready strength, power

● Polished pass rusher with developing moves

● Stout run defender who can stack and shed blocks

● Good core strength to anchor against the run

● Explosive athlete with speed to win quickly off the snap

● Played well in big games and anchored a line with multiple NFL players

Weaknesses

● Short arms (12th percentile) could cause issues

● Ability to stack blocks might not translate as well due to arm length

Graham doesn’t have many weaknesses on tape. His arms are short, which could prevent him from being as effective against the run as he was at Michigan. That said, it doesn’t seem like an issue for him on tape.

Graham is incredibly powerful and has great hand placement, so he can manage his lack of length more effectively than not.

Graham’s Fit in Miami

Defensive tackle is one of the Dolphins’ most glaring needs. The current depth chart is comprised of just Zach Sieler and Benito Jones, along with 2024 practice squad players Matt Dickerson and Neil Farrell Jr. So, Graham is a fit in a broad sense.

However, he also would be an excellent pairing for Sieler, one of the most well-rounded defensive tackles in the league. Like Sieler, Graham is an excellent run defender with an underrated pass-rush profile.

Graham recorded five sacks and 20 quarterback hurries last season, while having a 13.8 pass-rush win rate and 12 percent run-stop win rate. Both of those rank in the upper percentile for all college defensive linemen.

The film backs those numbers up, too. Graham wins most of his pass-rush reps quickly — even if he doesn’t generate a sack — and consistently stacks and sheds blocks against the run. The best example of this came in Michigan’s upset victory over the eventual national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Graham was dominant in that game and the anchor of the Michigan defensive line all season.

Sieler and Graham would give the Dolphins the versatility of two defensive tackles who don’t need to come off the field often, which would do wonders for the defense.

Sieler and Graham could take most of their reps at three-technique (alignment on the outside shoulder of an offensive guard), and Jones could be the team’s nose tackle, who only plays in obvious running situations.

That’s a pretty good interior defensive line group without talking about any of the team’s depth players.

Mason Graham vs. Kenneth Grant

Ironically enough, Graham’s teammate, Kenneth Grant, has been a player frequently mocked to the Dolphins all cycle. We like Grant’s fit for the Dolphins, but Graham has a few advantages over Grant.

The main difference between the two is consistency, especially when rushing the passer. Graham is a lot more effective at using his hands to free himself. He knows when to use certain pass-rush moves and how to leverage his speed and power.

His quickness, combined with a solid arm-over move, allows him to generate solid pressure, and he’s got a nice bull rush. He’s working on push-pull and spin moves, but they’re inconsistent.

Grant relies more on flashes than he does on a consistent pass-rush plan.

This makes us believe Graham will be a higher-impact player in Year 1, which is something the Dolphins desperately need. Sacks are not the best stat to evaluate defensive tackles, but outside of Sieler’s 11 from last season, Calais Campbell is the only other interior defensive tackle with more than one.

Campbell signed with the Cardinals this offseason, so his production can’t be counted on again. Grant is incredibly talented for a player of his size, but he’s still a bigger player who needs some development.

Graham should be ready to contribute from Day 1, especially considering he’ll be playing next to Sieler, ensuring teams can’t focus on the rookie without worrying about Sieler.

Bottom Line on Mason Graham

Simply put, Graham would be a slam-dunk selection for the Dolphins. Depending on how you value cornerback vs. interior defensive line, Graham might be the draft’s best player at the Dolphins’ biggest position of need.

As a rookie, he would help the team against the pass and the run while being a nice long-term pairing for Sieler. Additionally, Graham has the talent to take over for Sieler whenever he decides to move on.

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