In the latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Mason Graham, Michigan’s game-wrecker on the inside. Who is Mason Graham, and what would he bring to New Orleans in 2025 and beyond?
New Orleans Saints Select Mason Graham in Latest Mock Draft
Mason Graham Stats
Graham’s impact doesn’t often appear on the box score due to his position. Interior defensive linemen aren’t stat padders full of sacks and tackles. In his first two years at Michigan, he totaled 62 tackles and 5.5 sacks. As a 21-year-old Junior, Graham is on pace to set career highs in tackles, sacks, and maybe even pass deflections (his career high is one, he already has one). He has 33 tackles, seven for a loss, and 3.5 sacks through nine games.
Mason Graham Scouting Report
Height: 6’3″ (u)
Weight: 318 lbs (u)
For a big guy, Graham is lightning-quick off the ball and able to penetrate against one-on-one blocks. He’s physical at the point of attack and dominates guards with poor footwork or hand placement. Importantly, he controls his weight and base well after engaging and can maintain the point of attack against the run. His biggest concerns have to do with a fairly simple pass-rush move selection and high pad height off the snap at times. He’s a force to be reckoned with when he keeps his pad level low. When he pops up (which isn’t too often) he’s easier to move.
Why the Pick Makes Sense
Cameron Jordan is far from a spring chicken, and 2025 is the last year of his deal. For better or for worse, the team is tied to Derek Carr for the foreseeable future. The team doesn’t have the cap space or flexibility to move off of Carr, so they should focus on controlling what they can. While there are a couple of tackles that should entice fans, Graham is an immediate impact player on the defensive line that can pair with Bryan Bresee for years to come.
The team lacks a defensive identity, especially now that Marshon Lattimore is gone. Building through the trenches will allow the team to be ready to compete whenever they are finally out of cap purgatory. The Saints are in the bottom ten teams in rush yards allowed this season, and Graham will be a good start to try to slow down Bijan Robinson in the future.
As the Saints continue to employ a 4-3 base defense, Graham will fit in nicely. He can work as a one or three-technique, but on clear running downs can pop outside to the five or seven if the coach wants more beef on a certain side. His short arms limit him on pass-rushing downs for now, but a year working with Cam Jordan could change that.
Last Word on Possible Selection
Graham is a blue-chip prospect in a position of need and will help the Saints immediately. They’ll have to ride out Carr for at least the short term, and it’s better to wait for a stronger quarterback class regardless. Having two players able to anchor the defense will give them a defensive identity for now while they wait to build out the offense down the road.
Main Photo Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
