Round 1, Pick 13 - Philadelphia Eagles - Brandon Graham

Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan

Ht: 6’ 1 3/8” Wt: 268

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  I really like Brandon Graham, and I really like this pick:  Graham might not look like the prototypical defensive end, but he's a football player who knows how to get to the quarterback.

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report: A short, square-cut, disruptive leverage-power rusher who played with his hand on the ground at Michigan but could project to a rush linebacker role in an aggressive, one-gap- ping “30” front such as that of the Ravens, Steelers or Chargers. Could fit equally well in a “40” front such as that of the Colts or Buccaneers. Will come off the board before more physically gifted players at his position due to his consistent motor, production and dependability.

NFL projection: Top-40 pick

GM Jr’s scouting report:  Graham is a very productive player in one of the top conferences in the country.  Graham is thickly built defensive end with the playing strength to jolt and dictate the play to the OT – Both as a bull rusher and taking on run blocks at the POA.  He is a super tough and highly competitive player who plays with excellent passion and intensity on every snap, which helps him to be a highly productive player despite lacking elite athleticism and ideal height.  He is a team leader who has shown a willingness to step up and lead his teammates.  When the 2009 season ended there was a debate as to whether Graham had proven on film that he was a good enough athlete to play DE in a 43 or Rush-Linebacker in the 34 and it was expected that this would cause his draft value to slide into the 2^nd or 3^rd round.  However, at The Senior Bowl he stepped up and was the best player there all week.  He really showed the athleticism, sue of hands, pass rush skills and natural strength that teams became convinced he could be productive playing either position.  Overall, Graham is a versatile prospect who is going to be a highly productive player in the NFL and while we think his best position would be defensive end in the 43 scheme, he has the talent to be a top level rush-linebacker in a 34 scheme.  He is a stronger and better football player than L. Woodley was coming out of Michigan, which is why he is going to be a mid 1^st round pick. 

Lindy’s Sports scouting report:  Graham probably won’t hit the 6-2 mark on the tape, but some teams are finding short, strong and high-motor ends are successful pass rushers.  He has the agility and hustle to join former college defensive ends like Larry English, Elvis Dumervil and former Michigan teammate LaMarr Woodley in successfully transitioning to linebacker in 3-4 schemes. 

Pro Football Weekly 2010 Draft Preview available @ http://www.pfwstore.com/detail.aspx?ID=695

GM Jr. 2010 Draft Guide available @ http://gmjrnfldraft.com/

Lindy’s Sports 2010 Draft Guide available @http://www.lindyssports.com/product.php?cn=332

Every Morning Quarterback by Aharon Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.everymorningqb.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.everymorningqb.com.