When the Cleveland Browns agreed to move back from No. 2 to No. 5 in the 2025 NFL Draft in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, decisions were made. While it remains to be seen if it works out for either party, there could be some semblance of buyer's remorse for Cleveland. As Travis Hunter tries to play both ways for Jacksonville, Mason Graham did not look the part in his first preseason game.
PFF did not give the No. 5 overall pick out of Michigan a favorable grade. While his Preseason Week 1 Grade of 47.5 was not that much worse than the 58.4 Hunter put forth on offense, and especially the 49.8 he put forth on defense, what Hunter is trying to do is unprecedented. Furthermore, Graham was unable to generate any pressure on eight pass-rushing snaps. He also got posterized on a run play...
Carolina Panthers offensive guard Robert Hunt did not care that Graham was a top-five pick out of a traditional power because into the turf he went! To be totally fair, I am quite bullish on Graham's career in the NFL. He was my favorite prospect after Abdul Carter. That being said, I know how snake-bitten the Browns can be at times in the draft. Did they make a GOB Bluth huge mistake with this big trade?
Time will tell if Graham lives up to the draft pick, but he also has the Hunter trade working against him.
Panthers RG Robert Hunt didn't think much of the 5th-overall pick. pic.twitter.com/t0MKL1ptby
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) August 12, 2025
I think playing alongside Myles Garrett is a huge boost for him, but Graham seems behind schedule.
Mason Graham will always be tied to Travis Hunter after draft-day trade
Let's make one thing perfectly clear. Graham did not ask for this. There was a time back in the spring where he may or may not have been wearing Jaguars gear during an offseason workout. Heading into the draft process, Graham felt like a lock to go in the top five, probably falling no further than No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders. He was picked in the right spot, but maybe not to the right team in Cleveland...
I also want to put it out there that I am still quite dubious of Hunter actually being able to play both ways, especially for a franchise like the Jaguars. Liam Coen knows offense, but does he know how to lead men? To me, the Browns and Jaguars have often earned their rights to be picking inside the top five more often than not because they are not well-run organizations. So this trade is a mixed bag...
That being said, I understand there is an inordinate amount of pressure being placed on these guys. For Hunter, he has to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, or the best thing to happen to Jacksonville since Limp Bizkit. As for Graham, he may have become a champion playing for Jim Harbaugh in college, but this is the NFL, a league that has never been very kind to the Browns at all.
Both guys can still have great NFL careers, but doubt is starting to creep into the mind of the Browns.