Mason Graham had an illustrious career with the Michigan Wolverines, winning a National Title in 2023 and earning All-American honors last year. Many thought he was a great pick for the Cleveland Browns at #5 in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, things appear to have started off disastrously for Graham.
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On his very first day at the Browns minicamp, Graham not only appeared out of shape, but was clearly overcome by not only the 75-degree heat but the stress of the situation. So much so that the camera caught him vomiting mid-session and running off the field to wash out his helmet.
Of course, it’s still early days. And most players do come into minicamp somewhat out of shape after a winter slumber. But something looked weirdly off about Graham in his first practice with the team.
It wasn’t just that he looked out of shape; Graham appeared uncoordinated while doing some pretty standard drills. He struggled to keep his balance when making quick changes in direction. And overall, he just didn’t display the kind of tenacity or fire that we saw from him at Michigan.
It was a disappointing first display. to say the least. And fans and observers were quick to voice their thoughts on the matter.
Fans question Mason Graham’s draft positioning
As author John Frascella expressed on X (formerly Twitter): “I don’t care what anyone says, this is not a 5th overall pick in the NFL Draft, you can’t draft people on ‘name value.’”
I don’t care what anyone says, this is not a 5th overall pick in the NFL Draft, you can’t draft people on ‘name value’
pic.twitter.com/3aUqfFT0An— John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) May 11, 2025
The fan reaction to Frascella’s rant was mixed, but the majority agreed that they didn’t view Mason Graham as a first-round talent either. Many saw it as a classic Browns misfire. Yeah, it was that bad.
“Agreed… very overhyped… a very Cleveland draft pick,” one concurred. “Couldn’t agree more. I don’t see it either,” another chimed in.
However, others wanted to shush the detractors and reminded them that it’s only a rookie minicamp.
“This is quite literally rookie camp. I think he’ll be fine,” they defended.
“This is an awful take. Trying to double down while they’re in shorts in May is gonna backfire big time. We will be revisiting this,” a Browns fan commented.
This is an awful take. Trying to double down while they’re in shorts in May is gonna backfire big time. We will be revisiting this
— OhiosHottestWhiteBoy (@WhiteBoyOH) May 11, 2025
On top of the disappointing tape that Graham gave us to evaluate, he also made headlines for vomiting during the practice. He was participating in 11-on-11 drills when suddenly massive amounts of bile began “erupting” out of his helmet. Graham apologized to his teammates and eventually cleaned up the mess himself.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski even had some quotes on the matter.
“That was gross. I think he ate too much. I think the cooking in the kitchen is too good,” Stefanski joked. “A few less wings next time.”
The images of Graham throwing up were quite disgusting to look at. One photographer caught the perfect moment as the bile spewed from his helmet. But Stefanski didn’t seem too concerned with his new rookie. In fact, he said Graham had the right mindset.
All in all, it’s not encouraging what Mason Graham put forth in his first minicamp session. He looked slow and out of shape with bad footwork. The vomit was a cherry on top of his bad day, albeit a disgusting cherry.
The fact of the matter is that defensive tackles rarely go in the first five picks, and Graham has a lot of expectations on his shoulders. It’s just one day, but he’d better snap out of it and showcase why the scouts had him graded so highly before he gets exposed on the grand stage. It’s time to lock in, Mason.
