When Mason Graham was a student at Servite High School in Anaheim, Calif., he didn't just play football.

He also wrestled for all four years of high school and played basketball and rugby. His multi-sport background was one of the many reasons the Browns were interested in Graham as a prospect. Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry said they have a specific area on their scouting reports where their area scouts document other sports prospects played.

"I think the most impressive thing with Mason that we really liked was just his wrestling background," Berry said. "And you can see that in his play, in terms of how he uses leverage, in terms of how he uses his hands, his grip strength. And we do feel like that there's always a pretty good track record of these guys who are high-end wrestlers, the big guys who are high-end wrestlers, and how that translates. But I would say just like his overall athleticism is something that we found attractive at the position."

After trading the second overall pick, the 104^th and 200^th picks to the Jaguars in exchange for the fifth overall pick, a 2026 first-round pick and more, the Browns used the fifth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Graham.

Berry said he and Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone had been in conversations about the trade for the previous two weeks ahead of the draft. They finalized the trade when the Browns were on the clock with the No. 2 pick.

"We just felt like it was a fantastic opportunity for our organization to move down three spots and still get a top-notch prospect in the trenches," Berry explained about the trade. "Adding a pick in what we view as really the sweet spot for this year's draft class, and then adding a first-round pick next year in a class that, quite frankly, we think will be a bit stronger in the first 30 picks. So, we just felt like over – both in the short term and over a multiyear time horizon – it was a fit for what we wanted to do with the team and what we wanted to do with the roster. And we're excited to add Mason."

With the selection of Graham, Cleveland added another defensive tackle to their roster, which features 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett on the edge, as well as Sam Kamara, Isaiah McGuire, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Julian Okwara, Elerson G. Smith, Cameron Thomas, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Alex Wright on the ends. On the interior, Graham joins a unit that consists of Jowon Briggs, Maliek Collins, Mike Hall Jr., Shelby Harris and Ralph Holley.

The addition of Graham provides depth to the defensive line to bolster the unit. Berry said their goal is to be 6-8 players across the defensive line because of how they like to shuffle players in and out of the lineup. With the demand their defensive linemen have in running to the ball and getting off the ball, they use the rotation to keep players fresh.

And Graham can be a part of that rotation. Berry said they viewed Graham as one of the premier linemen in the draft class on either side of the ball. He also highlighted Graham's ability as an elite pass rusher from the interior as an attribute that is difficult to find – one that is now considered a premium skill set in the NFL.

"He is a DNA match for our defense," Berry said. "Disruptive, interior penetrator. I think he can really affect the pocket from inside, high motor player, really physical, really tough. We thought he was one of the more dominant trench prospects in this year's class."

Berry added that as a DNA fit, they want attack players – those who can use movement, quickness and power to re-establish the line of scrimmage and get up the field to rush the passer. Because the Browns view their defensive line as the "engine" of the defense, they want players who can attack and disrupt the line of scrimmage. Those are the attributes they see in Graham's physical skill set as well as his personality.

Graham sees himself fitting in with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's attack-style defense and using the qualities Berry highlighted to his advantage. When he was on his top 30 visit in Cleveland, Graham said Schwartz shared how he could be a fit in the defensive scheme with attacking and being disruptive up front.

Now a member of the Browns, Graham believes he is a fit for the Browns defense.

"I'm going to come in and dominate," Graham said. "Make this team better and fit right in the Dawg Pound. Coach Schwartz really relies on his front, that's what I'm going to do. He calls it the engine, and I'm going to be just that for this team. Just what kind of person I am, I'm the team guy. I want to win at all costs, and I want to get Cleveland back on top."