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Will the San Francisco 49ers follow through with a long-anticipated trade of Brandon Aiyuk? And will that spur their decision in the upcoming draft? Whatever the case, here are three reasons Mason Graham is the perfect fit for the 49ers in the 2025 NFL Draft.
First, the 49ers have a strong need to improve at the defensive tackle position. If they don’t get a game-changer at that spot, the 2025 season may resemble the unwanted results in 2024.
Second, head coach Kyle Shanahan reportedly thinks he can pretty much draft whoever and turn the prospect into a functional offensive lineman. Take that idea with a grain of salt, but it likely means the 49ers won’t be in the market for a high-ceiling offensive lineman in the first round.
DT Mason Graham has the right confidence
There’s a lot of evidence that Graham can deliver the good in the NFL. And he may be able to do it during his rookie season. He certainly believes he’s ready, according to nbcsportsbayarea.com.
“I feel like I've put in a lot of hard work,” Graham said. “I've been coached really well. All throughout high school and college, put in the extra time, put in the extra work, try to perfect and (be) the best player I could for my teammates.”
Graham said he’s ready for both parts of the defensive challenge.
“I pride myself on playing the run and the pass because I feel like that's what a complete D-lineman does,” Graham said. “But, obviously, rushing the passer, I feel like I'm really good at, too. I can run through guys or I can be a finesse guy too at the same time.
“I feel like I affect every snap, run or pass, (and) I feel like I'm a dominant player. One of the most dominant players in this class.”
Mason Graham getting rave reviews
Daniel Jeremiah of nfl.com ranks Graham as the No. 4 prospect, among all positions, in the draft, according to nfl.com.
“Graham is a powerful defensive tackle with outstanding leverage and instincts,” Jeremiah wrote. “He’s one of the most consistent players in the draft class. Against the run, he has an impressive short-area burst to attack blockers. He excels in block destruction. (Also,) he stacks, finds the ball, chucks blockers to the side and collects tackles.”
Furthermore, Graham shows lateral range and can make plays down the line.
“He is always in a leverage position and never gets uprooted,” Jeremiah wrote. “In the pass game, he has a violent club/rip move and a powerful bull rush. His effort is outstanding.”
Also, a NFL personnel director said Graham won’t be fun for opposing teams when they have to draw up a game plan against him, according to nfl.com.
“Graham can be a nightmare for O-line coaches because the defense can line him up over the worst athlete inside.”
49ers’ defense needs a big lift
Free agency crushed the 49ers defense. The team will need to have young players step up and perform. That means they likely need to grab a defensive player at pick No. 11.
Or, they may need to trade up to get a guy like Graham. The 49ers have tons of draft capital to make the move. They have four picks in the first three rounds. If they find the right trade partner, they could possibly send a third and a fourth to get the notches up in the first round.
Mason would bring a toughness and tenacity that head coach Kyle Shanahan expects from his defense.
“Graham’s first-step quickness makes interior disruption inevitable,” Lnace Zierlein wrote. “He has the instant read and response to regularly beat lateral blocks. He’s stout at the point of attack with great leverage and body control but will lose some ground against double teams.”
Despite all of these things, Jeremiah said Graham could fall to No. 11.
“Where they're picking at 11, they're going to be able to get a really good player,” Jeremiah said. “I'll be curious to see how Graham goes through the spring. As I mentioned, I think his tape is so good. But I'm not sure he's going to totally ace the spring part of it. If you're looking for someone that I think would just be a home run pick for them, to me, it would be if Mason Graham were to fall down to them.”
