Michigan's Mason Graham Named Top Defensive Tackle Heading Into 2024

Earlier this week, PFF College named Michigan's Colston Loveland as the top tight end heading into the 2024 season. On Sunday, PFF College named another Wolverine as the best in college football at their position, this time defensive tackle Mason Graham.

Here's what PFF had to say about the dominant Wolverine defender:

1. MASON GRAHAM, MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Graham was excellent in his first year at Ann Arbor, leading all FBS true freshmen interior defensive linemen with an 80.3 PFF grade. He took his game to a whole new level as a sophomore. According to PFF's wins above average metric, he was the fourth-most valuable defensive tackle in the nation and was sixth in that same group with a 15.9% pass-rush win rate. Graham was one of only two interior defensive linemen in the country to finish with top-10 grades as both a pass rusher and run defender. The other was Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat.

The rising junior has a relentless motor to combine with ridiculous agility that makes him nearly unblockable. Even if an offensive lineman gets a clean shot on him, he has great power at 6-foot-3, 318 pounds to shed the block and find the ball carrier. Graham’s a nearly complete defensive tackle who’ll continue terrorizing Big Ten offenses on his way to likely becoming a high selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. If he was eligible for the 2024 draft, he’d likely be the first defensive tackle off the board.

At 6-3, 320-pounds, Graham has established himself as the most dominant interior defensive lineman in the country. He plays fast and violent, but he's extremely disciplined and efficient in his technique - making for a very long afternoon if you're tasked with trying to stop him. During his sophomore season in 2023, Graham finished fourth on the team in tackles for loss (7.5) and sixth in sacks (3.0). He was the defensive MVP in the CFP Rose Bowl matchup against Alabama, was named first team All-Big Ten by the coaches and second team All-American.

Given all that he's accomplished so far during his first two seasons in Ann Arbor, it isn't all that surprising to see Graham at the top of the list on PFF's top ten returning interior defensive lineman list.

In addition to Graham being at the top of the list, fellow Michigan DT Kenneth Grant also came in at No. 6 overall. You can click here to see what PFF had to say about the 6-3, 340-pound monster.

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