One of the New Orleans Saints’ top prospects in the 2024 NFL draft weighed in at a figure far below what people expected — should the Saints be concerned?
According to Saints Wire’s Darrion Gray, there’s no reason to panic. New Orleans has been closely linked to Michigan stud defensive tackle Mason Graham in the draft, and that shouldn’t change despite Graham weighing less than expected at the combine.
“Mason Graham was recently listed as the New Orleans Saints dream target in Day 1 of the NFL draft,” Gray wrote. “At the NFL Scouting Combine, Graham weighed in at 296 pounds. Michigan had Graham listed 24 pounds heavier at 320 pounds. There are some who were alarmed by the drastic drop in weight.”
“Like other scouts, the Saints shouldn't be deterred from Graham due to a lower weight than believed. This should change his fit in the defense. At 320 pounds, there was room for him to be a nose tackle in the base odd front defense. That would be off the table at 296 pounds. Graham is still an attractive prospect for the reasons listed by (ESPN’s Jordan) Reid, and could still step in as a Day 1 starter for the Saints. While it would result in Graham being a 3-4 defensive end, that doesn't dip his value or impact for New Orleans.”
Per Reid’s report, Graham’s "hand speed and ability to deconstruct blocks (are) among the best in a deep defensive line class.”
It’s easy for people to get carried away with all of the numbers gleaned from the combine, but at the end of the day, football players should be evaluated based on game performance. There have been plenty of “combine busts” who turned out to be excellent NFL players, Tom Brady included.
A GM who puts a lot of stock into player measurements might be turned off by Graham, but that would probably be a mistake. There are far more qualities that go into a winning football player than weight and speed.
Graham had immense success at the highest level of college football despite not being as physically immense as listed. There’s no reason to believe that Graham won’t be able to carry his elite skills onto the pro stage.
