The Opening Drive 11/13: Mason Graham Made Some Promising Plays Against Jets
The rookie defensive tackle made the type of plays you need to see on Sunday.
Few things are more exciting for me covering the Browns than to break down when a young player is putting on tape the type of reps you need to see. I have been a little under-the-weather so I have been slow to get to the defense tape but I was pumped up to share with you guys some strides I saw from Mason Graham. Some reps that make you see how he can find consistency someday.
Browns’ Defensive Line Coach Jacques Cesaire spoke last week about Graham’s progress despite the lack of dominant numbers. “The thing I love about Mason, he does not care what anybody outside of this building says about him. He does his own thing as far as just does his job. And he does his job extremely well. You know that guy plays the run extremely well, uses his hands well, sheds blocks, is instinctual.”
There is no doubt he is facing a decent amount of double teams aligning as the 1-technique often inside this defense, but he is handling them well enough with the win-rate and high snap volume to get excited about where it is going despite some uneven rookie performances.
If Graham can consistently rush with a plan to use his hands more often, focusing on mastering technique, then that is where the vision turns from average to excellent. There were very real flashes on Sunday.“
His work ethic is showing up and Cesaire is taking note. “I love the way that he works every single day diligently. Probably one of the toughest rookies I’ve ever been around. And he’s going to have a great career moving forward, you know, and those things, and I’m sure you guys have heard this. Sacks come in bunches. And I know his are going to start coming pretty soon because he is winning, he’s getting pressure, he’s doing everything that we ask him to do.”
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I want to spend time on three specific reps from the game Sunda. Overall Graham produced three tackles, including two “stop” tackles, and three pressures. That is solid production given the lack of dropbacks from the Jets and their propensity to run the ball laterally.
The first clip is on a Justin Field third-down dropback where Graham gets to two things I want to see more often. He goes with a euro-step to sell the opposite gap before returning to the A-gap on the right side. It’s a sudden plant that helps get the center leaning and then he uses the hands to get to the club-swim move that allows him to win and get past his man. Then he lands the quarterback hit. Thing of beauty.
The second rep does come against a screen but this is a great example of the hand fighting and technique approach I need from Graham consistently. Jets center Josh Myers (71) wants to get out for the screen but he has to slow Graham’s upfield rush down slightly to make the timing work. So, although it is not a full block attempt, he is trying to slow Graham down.
Watch Graham use his left hand to knock Myers’ punch down and then take the right arm down to remove the hands fully. This knocks Myers’ hands off him entirely and allows Graham to win quickly. This rep, more than any other, gets me excited because so much about winning on the interior is about eliminating the hands of the guard and then turning tight corners.
The last rep was against the run where Graham flashed that athleticism. The Jets are running tight zone and stellar rookie Armand Membou (70) is trying to take Graham’s momentum down the line of scrimmage and run his past the fit. Graham knows he has B-gap on the fit and once he feels he is being run past the hole and loses vision of Breece Hall, he puts the outside foot in the ground and pivots back the opposite direction to make the tackle. This is an advanced run game rep right here. Great feel.
Progress is not always linear at this position and Graham is diligently working on the details. If you are a believer in Graham becoming a Pro Bowl player throughout his career, this was the game, and these examples in particular, to help show the vision.
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I am here for the Mason PropaGrahamda