Even without Mason Graham, the Cleveland Browns' defense is elite.
And whenever he does ultimately return, there's a chance that the Browns get even better.
Fortunately, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Browns announced that Graham is getting healthier by the day. He is currently recovering from an ankle and knee injury he suffered in the Browns' Thursday Night Football clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to head coach Todd Monken, Graham wanted to play last weekend in the Browns' Week 6 clash with the Baltimore Ravens at home. However, he ultimately wasn't able to suit up.
He did share, though, that in the Browns' Sunday meeting with the Tennessee Titans, he should be ready to go.
"I think so. He wanted to go [vs. Baltimore]. He played for Jesse [Minter] at Michigan," Monken said. "He loves football. I think he's thankful and I am thankful it wasn't worse. Pretty good chance we will have him this week."
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) October 21, 2026Browns coach Todd Monken said DT Mason Graham wanted to play last Sunday against the Ravens and his former coach at Michigan, Jesse Minter.
"I think there's a pretty good chance we'll have him this week."
And it is obvious that the 23-year-old loves the game.
He made an incredible jump from his rookie campaign, becoming a much more impactful defender.
In his rookie season, he was named to the All-Rookie team by the Pro Football Writers of America, even though he only recorded 0.5 sacks, 49 tackles, seven for a loss and four quarterback hits.
This year, across the first four weeks of the 2026 NFL regular season, he was one of the most dominant rushers in the league before injury. He totaled 15 combined tackles, seven of which were solo, and four sacks. His presence in the backfield led to 33 yards lost for opposing quarterbacks when he was credited with the sack.
That type of pressure and ability to back an offense up is incredibly important.
But even when he has been kept off the field, the Browns have had players step up to fill his void.
Maliek Collins is up to 3.5 sacks and five tackles for a loss this season, while Isaiah McGuire sits not far behind at 3.0 sacks and five tackles for a loss. Alongside Collins and McGuire, Adin Huntington, Sam Kamara and Mike Hall Jr. have put in the work, each totaling a sack or more as well.
In Sunday's win, the Browns' run defense had a 97th percentile EPA/rush allowed performance and a 98th percentile designed rushing success rate allowed performance. Their total Defense Impact Metric, according to Pro Football Focus, has them ranked within the Top 5 in the league.
They also rank first in tackles for a loss, fewest rushing touchdowns allowed and second in total sacks.
When Graham returns, that unit will be even better, with those who have filled his spot being warmed up now.
There are just a few more days for Graham to get cleared for this weekend, and even if he just plays on limited snaps, it will be a nice bump for the defense to try and lead the Browns to a 5-2 record.
The Browns and Titans will clash at 1:00 p.m. EST from Nissan Stadium in Nashville this Sunday.
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