It may be the NFL Draft, but adding in a mix of college football doesn't hurt either. That's precisely what happened earlier Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin, when the Cleveland Browns selected former Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham as the fifth overall pick.
Of course, there was obvious irony as Graham, who stared for three years with the Wolverines and got the better of Ohio State when it mattered most. The Wolverines' social media team understood the assignment and may have stolen the show upon revealing Graham was headed back to Ohio.
"Mason Graham is already used to making big plays in the state of Ohio," the tweet read.
Robert Griffin III has high hopes for Graham, tweeting his assessment shortly after Graham was picked.
"Mason Graham brings with him talent, strength and a MOTOR. Many say his arms are too short, but they weren’t too short to get 3.5 sacks," Griffin III wrote. "7.5 tackles for loss and 26 pressures last year at Michigan. Mason Graham is a plug-and-play guy day 1 in Cleveland."
Graham could be a critical missing piece as the Browns try to revive the franchise in the coming years. Either way, there seems to be something special about the Ohio State-Michigan connection despite the Wolverines' recent run of dominance.
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It'll remain to be seen whether Graham works out for the Browns. At the very least, though, Graham can apologize to Buckeye Nation and try to reverse fortunes in making Cleveland natives believers in Graham at the pro level.
We'll find out if that's the case sooner than later. The Browns' schedule alongside the rest of the league, gets revealed Wednesday, May 14, to gear up for the impending season.