Bucky Brooks of NFL.com released his first mock draft of the 2025 draft cycle, and like many before this one, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham at fifth overall.
“Pairing Graham with 2024 second-rounder Maason Smith would give the Jaguars an intriguing interior tandem with disruptive potential,” wrote Brooks.
Graham certainly has the ability to get after the quarterback. During the 2024 season, he tallied 34 pressures and a handful of sacks.
However, where he made his presence really felt was in the run game. According to PFF’s metrics, Graham had the highest run defense grade of any interior defender in college football last season and he also ranked second in run-stop rate as well.
The addition of Graham in the middle, along with a hopeful Year 2 jump from Smith could help shore up the Jaguars’ run defense between the tackles. Arik Armstead also mentioned recently that he plans to move back to defensive tackle for the 2025 season.
The Jacksonville run defense allowed 4.4 yards per rush in 2024, which ranked 15th in the NFL.
Continuing to improve in that area can have a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the defense. Containing the run puts the offense behind the sticks and in predictable passing situations where the pass rush can then pin its ears back and the secondary has the advantage from a coverage standpoint.
As head coach Liam Coen mentioned in his introductory press conference, the good teams around the NFL can run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense.
“That’s where it starts,” said Coen of the trenches. “To go win playoff games and to go and do it, you’ve got to be able to run the football and stop the run, first and foremost.”
