Graham is so much better than McClain that comparing them is a joke.
Brandon Graham high on Miami's wishlist
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TheBow305
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Like I said in an email earlier, I'm not saying I wouldn't draft him, I'd be fine with him as our pick, but I KNOW the Trifecta won't take him. Look at their history. They value size over all other qualities first. They don't draft LB's, especially OLB's under 6'2". The sooner people realize this, the easier it will become on draft day for these people who want him so bad. It's just not going to happen. Why do you think that we have heard so little about the interest in him? We've had Sergio Kindle and Derrick Morgan in for visits. Why? Because they fit what the FO is looking for to a T. Both are over 6'3", 255 lb SOLB prospects. They can set the edge and are pass rushing beasts. Morgan isnt the ideal fit, but he has the motor to make it work. People are just hyped up on Graham after his Senior Bowl week, but he isn't a good fit and isn't anywhere near the prospect that Morgan and Kindle are. He isn't worth a Top 15 pick, that's the reality. If we go OLB, it will be one of the two, but it won't be Graham, that I am certain of. If you don't believe me, just wait until draft day and you will see.
TheBow305
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No he's not. McClain is a legit Top 10-15 pick. I wouldn't say Graham is a sure-fire Top 15-20 pick. I don't think he'll go any earlier than NE at 22 TBH.
I don't care how much McClain's being overrated. Graham's a better athlete, plays with better instincts, and much better explosion. Oh, and he's a good deal stronger, and he uses his strength: he plays physical - unlike McClain.
Graham > McClain
All day erryday.
Isnt a good fit? Are you kidding me, honestly? He is a perfect match for what we need at a SOLB. People say he doesnt have much exp. in coverage, but he can learn that part of the game. He has the run stopping and pass rushing already, and a non-stop motor to go with it. I will be PUMPED if he is our pick at 12. He is going to be an awesome NFL player.
SRM
Scout Team
I'd love for us to take this guy.
Mr. Magoo
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See, I agree that the chances are pretty good they won't take him. A look into Nolan's history should be fairly conclusive as to the "prototype" player they're looking for, whatever anyone says.
But I disagree that Graham isn't worth a top 15 pick. He's a fantastically productive player with strong, quick hands, great motor, good awareness, and good quickness in space.
If I were the GM, and guys like Eric Berry and Dez Bryant were gone, I'd take him and be very happy about it.
But this isn't about me, or what I think. The question is whether this regime would take him, given their preferences and their history.
And I simply don't know how anyone can look at the record and be confident predicting it will be Graham. He's enough of an outlier from their preferences it makes it very hard for me to project him to them @ #12.
I think if Keith Butler had been hired away from Pittsburgh it'd be a different story. That team has proven over and over again they don't care so much about the height of their linebackers. But Nolan has proven it, and people shouldn't let their personal feelings about what a prospect should or shouldn't be physically interfere with their ability to predict what these guys will do.
TheBow305, what a bunch of total nonsense. Kindle can't get anywhere close to sniffing Graham's jockstrap as a pass rusher or as a player... That must be a joke there that you wrote. Because you can't possibly be serious.
Kindle is one of the most overrated players in the entire draft.. He has EXTENSIVE flaws to his game as a pass rusher.. He totally stinks in using leverage, his hand use sucks and he has no moves... he also can't sink his hips on the arc, he doesn't play heavy coming around the edge and doesn't show heavy hands whatsoever. and SERIOUSLY lacks instincts.. Moreover, he gets washed out against the run all too frequently, and quite easily downfield. He also lacks in change of direction movement, and seriously lacks leg drive.
Just like Gholston who sucked in so many areas to his game but scouts got blinded by his explosion off the snap.. and totally ignored the dozen areas of his game where he stunk.... Gholston had no moves whatsoever, he didn't understand leverage at all. Never knew how to counter at all... his hips lacked fluidity, had very bad instincts and awareness for the game etc etc etc,.. I talked extensively about how I despised Gholston months before that draft, for the reasons given... talked about how I was 100% certain he would be a total bust.. and I despise Kindle almost the same way now.
And of course, now people are getting blinded because Kindle has some straight line speed ?? well so what ! He sucks in so many other areas of the game it's not even funny. If straight line speed is all you look for at that position, then I think you are following the wrong sport - you should be following track, not football.
Brandon Graham's technique is flawless... he has a great array of pass rush moves and makes the position look like it comes 2nd nature to him, like he was born to play it.. His hand use is at an ELITE level already. His motor kills all.. His understanding of leverage and how to manipulate and use it to his advantage is NFL elite already... has high awareness/recognition and a high football IQ... has the burst when making a play on the close you look for of course.. has great strength at the point of attack. He is an extremely polished player in other ways than what I listed.
Thinking Kindle is even half the football player Graham is is totally silly.. Anyone who thinks Kindle is even half the player Graham is HAS to be totally off their rocker and absolutely nuts ( take no offense when I say that guys, but it astounds me how so many people miss the many important attributes it takes to be a good pass rusher and OLB in the NFL).
I'm glad that former Ravens scout Daniel Jeremiah just came out recently and said that Kindle is simply not a pass rusher.. PERIOD.. And he's absolutely right.. Kindle isn't. If we draft that guy you will rue the day for a very very long time. He stinks.
Furthermore, that doesn't include the intangibles Graham brings over Kindle on and off the field.
The Dolphins might as well start giving their division rivals their 1st round picks if they're going to start passing on very good players like Graham for garbage like Kindle.
Kindle is one of the most overrated players in the entire draft.. He has EXTENSIVE flaws to his game as a pass rusher.. He totally stinks in using leverage, his hand use sucks and he has no moves... he also can't sink his hips on the arc, he doesn't play heavy coming around the edge and doesn't show heavy hands whatsoever. and SERIOUSLY lacks instincts.. Moreover, he gets washed out against the run all too frequently, and quite easily downfield. He also lacks in change of direction movement, and seriously lacks leg drive.
Just like Gholston who sucked in so many areas to his game but scouts got blinded by his explosion off the snap.. and totally ignored the dozen areas of his game where he stunk.... Gholston had no moves whatsoever, he didn't understand leverage at all. Never knew how to counter at all... his hips lacked fluidity, had very bad instincts and awareness for the game etc etc etc,.. I talked extensively about how I despised Gholston months before that draft, for the reasons given... talked about how I was 100% certain he would be a total bust.. and I despise Kindle almost the same way now.
And of course, now people are getting blinded because Kindle has some straight line speed ?? well so what ! He sucks in so many other areas of the game it's not even funny. If straight line speed is all you look for at that position, then I think you are following the wrong sport - you should be following track, not football.
Brandon Graham's technique is flawless... he has a great array of pass rush moves and makes the position look like it comes 2nd nature to him, like he was born to play it.. His hand use is at an ELITE level already. His motor kills all.. His understanding of leverage and how to manipulate and use it to his advantage is NFL elite already... has high awareness/recognition and a high football IQ... has the burst when making a play on the close you look for of course.. has great strength at the point of attack. He is an extremely polished player in other ways than what I listed.
Thinking Kindle is even half the football player Graham is is totally silly.. Anyone who thinks Kindle is even half the player Graham is HAS to be totally off their rocker and absolutely nuts ( take no offense when I say that guys, but it astounds me how so many people miss the many important attributes it takes to be a good pass rusher and OLB in the NFL).
I'm glad that former Ravens scout Daniel Jeremiah just came out recently and said that Kindle is simply not a pass rusher.. PERIOD.. And he's absolutely right.. Kindle isn't. If we draft that guy you will rue the day for a very very long time. He stinks.
Furthermore, that doesn't include the intangibles Graham brings over Kindle on and off the field.
The Dolphins might as well start giving their division rivals their 1st round picks if they're going to start passing on very good players like Graham for garbage like Kindle.
hoops
Tua time!
i wouldn't say that graham has such a great array of pass rush moves nor better instincts than mcclain...
of course they don't project to play the same position in the pros so that comparison makes zero sense to me anyways...
as for kindle very overrated imo...
of course they don't project to play the same position in the pros so that comparison makes zero sense to me anyways...
as for kindle very overrated imo...
Hmm... every single draft guru that is getting paid to research and voice their opinion disagrees with you.
Plus if we wanted a short, high motor guy to play the strong side we could've just kept Roth.
TheBow305
Starter
LOVE how you totally ignored Morgan. I like Kindle, but I would prefer Morgan at this point. Maybe Kindle is not better than Graham as a prospect, I think that can be argued for or against. But he is at least comparable. Morgan is NO QUESTION the better prospect between the TWO, and I'd bet my house that if the two are sitting there, we go with Morgan 10 times out of 10. You guys are acting like I said Graham's not a good player. I've said he is over and over again, and I also said I would be fine with him in Miami if they chose him. I'm just saying, it's 100% not going to happen. I'm just trying to help you guys realize that.
Mr. Magoo
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I don't get either side of this debate.
For TheBow305: I don't see how anyone who watches Graham's tape can come away anything but hugely impressed by his skills.
For, uh, everyone else: But I furthermore don't see how anyone who has looked at the draft tendencies of this FO and it's defensive coordinator and reliably think a guy of Graham's height would be the pick for that position.
For TheBow305: I don't see how anyone who watches Graham's tape can come away anything but hugely impressed by his skills.
For, uh, everyone else: But I furthermore don't see how anyone who has looked at the draft tendencies of this FO and it's defensive coordinator and reliably think a guy of Graham's height would be the pick for that position.
hoops
Tua time!
graham is a downright monster on tape...he really is
plays with such great strength and leverage...a power player
plays with such great strength and leverage...a power player
Fin_Frenzy_84
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You cant even compare McClain and Graham ones inside the other is outside.
ckparrothead
Premium Member
Well then this one is for you...a post I created on another forum the other day.
**********************************************************************
Let's get away from the Dez Bryant debates for a second.
Right now, and probably through draft day, my Short Board at #12 overall looks like the following:
1. FS Eric Berry, Tennessee
2. WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
3. OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan
4. RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson
On the other hand, my Mel Kiper-esque overall Big Board looks like the following:
1. DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2. QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
3. DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
4. FS Eric Berry, Tennessee
5. RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson
6. WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
7. OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan
8. RB Ryan Matthews, Fresno State
9. CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
10. OLB Jerry Hughes, TCU
11. DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
12. DE Tyson Alualu, California
13. CB Joe Haden, Florida
14. OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
15. OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
16. DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
17. DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
18. DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
19. ILB Daryl Washington, TCU
20. ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama
21. FS Earl Thomas, Texas
22. QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
23. ILB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
24. DE Everson Griffen, Southern California
25. OT Charles Brown, Southern California
By the way I've set up my Big Board, and the way I've set up my Short Board, the most likely pick at #12 for me is Brandon Graham. And most recently Al Fronczak who is a very respected mock drafter (is that an oxymoron?), wrote that he has heard that Brandon Graham is very high on Bill Parcells' wish list (see his comment on the #12 spot).
I had him going to Miami in the first Mock Draft that I created for Universal Draft. Back then I was not necessarily convinced of his talent.
Now, I am. The more I watch of him, the more I get genuinely excited about his ability. I like powerful players, and there is no player on defense that I consider to be more powerful for his position than Brandon Graham.
Something that Awsi Dooger once taught me is the background matters. He's big into profiles. A lot of these great football players just grew up playing football, love it, have been great football players as long as they can remember, they're practically football aristocracy.
Brandon Graham's background checks out beautifully. This guy has been a star football player since he could remember. He's no Rocky Balboa. He's Ivan Drago. A linebacker for the first 11 years of his football career, he came out of high school weighing 240 pounds, running in the low 4.4's at Nike camp, boasting a 10.9 second 100 meters time, and having racked up ridiculous statistics at the high school level as a linebacker. How ridiculous? I call it Elgin Hicks ridiculous. Elgin Hicks was a WR at Charlotte High School back when I went to school there, and he happened to be a friend of mine. He was a blue chip prospect and went to the Florida Gators, had academic problems (common for my high school) as well as some injury problems, transferred to USF, did OK there, went to camp with the Colts and was one of their final cuts and just couldn't make it over Aaron Moorehead. But, during his junior year of high school he caught for something monstrously ridiculous liks 2300+ yards and 30+ TDs. I sh-t you not.
In Brandon Graham's junior year of high school he had 91 tackles, 20 sacks, and maintained a 3.8 GPA. In one game he posted 12 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 blocked punts, and he scored a TD on a 78 yard fake punt. His senior year, he was one of 16 finalists for Parade High School Player of the Year (high school equivalent of the Heisman). His high school team was undefeated in the regular season for all three years that he started at linebacker. He had a 3.2 GPA by the end of his senior year. His senior year was cut short due to an injury, but he was on a similar statistical run. He came out of school ranked by Rivals as the 15th best recruit in the nation.
Character-wise, as I said he maintained a high GPA in high school, but he was not without his bumps in the road at Michigan. He received a ticket for playing loud music and when he failed to appear in court, a warrant was actually issued for his arrest. After the Wolverines' shocking loss to Appalachian State during his sophomore year, when he was expected to start and instead played sparingly, Lloyd Carr said about him "Brandon, he needs to get focused in and do the things he's capable of doing." Carr noted that he was disappointed in Graham's efforts during practice. He had that turned around by the third game of the year when he recorded 3.5 sacks against rival Notre Dame. Graham was known for ballooning up weight-wise. I believe by the time he got to Michigan he was upwards of 280 pounds and he fought those weight issues right through to his junior year when he showed up for Rich Rodriguez' spring camp slimmer than expected.
The position he played at Michigan was the same one-gap 3-4 Defensive End spot previously occupied by Lamarr Woodley, to my knowledge. He would line up just off the outside shoulder of the tackle on a three-man defensive line, or he would line up head on the tackle or even just inside his inside shoulder. As a one-gap 3-4 Defensive End, he was charged with penetrating and controlling the B gap between Guard and Tackle more often than the C gap between Tackle and Tight End. He very rarely was asked to drop back into coverage, because that just was not a requirement of the position. It happened at times, such as against Notre Dame in his senior season, but it was relatively rare. His was a role that required aggressive penetration that relied on first step quickness and strength, balance and quick thinking to keep your track and not get easily swept out of the play from the side. During his senior year, he had to deal with double teams in pass protection very often. Teams often kept their ground game away from him, hoping that he would not make the play from the back side. When the play was toward him, he was often doubled by drive blockers. He played return units on special teams. He would often line up over the long snapper, blowing by him at the snap and accelerating through to the wall of blockers, where he would crash into them as strongly as he could, get his arms up and try and block the punt. Against more classic pro looking punt formations, he'd rush from the wing where he might draw an tight end attempting to block him from off the line. Penn State paid the price for trying to block him this way in 2009.
He was generally a terror at this position. Starting with that breakout game against rival Notre Dame in his sophomore season, he accumulated 109 tackles, 55.5 for loss, which included 29.0 sacks, 7 forced fumbles and 2 blocked kicks in 35 games. His senior season he had 26.0 tackles for loss, including 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and both of his blocked kicks.
Though he may possess a great profile from a background and statistical perspective, he does not possess the greatest physical size profile. Most observers knew he would not measure quite up to 6'2" in height. At the Combine, he came in at about 6 feet, 1.5 inches. A large wave of concern followed after he measured in at the Senior Bowl with just over 30 inch arms. Having seen mis-measurements at the Senior Bowl before, I wanted to be patient for his Combine measurements before any panic about his arm length set in. Sure enough, his arms measured just over 32 inches at the Combine. Graham has a broad chest and shoulders, and his arms have never looked short to me on the tape. I think that people that are uncomfortable with his arms being 32 inches would probably not think twice if the tape measure said 33 inches, and so at that point I have to question whether we're splitting hairs too much when we're talking about a very good player. To me, this isn't the reason you don't draft a guy.
As for the height, the reality is that there are plenty of good players that play rush end positions at his size or even shorter. Lamarr Woodley, Robert Mathis, Parys Haralson and Darryl Tapp are nearly identical in height with Graham. Dwight Freeney, Elvis Dumervil and James Harrison are a good bit shorter. Tully Banta-Cain, Larry English and Chris Gocong are barely half an inch taller. Even guys like Joey Porter, Cameron Wake and Clint Sintim are barely an inch taller. These are some of the highest drafted and most productive, well paid players at the position. So, the height really does not make a difference to me.
Athletically, as I mentioned before he's always been an outstanding runner for his size. If that Nike Camp number is correct, then he was testing out at Patrick Willis type size/speed combinations when he was coming out of high school. I've seen conflicting reports about that Nike Camp number though so when you just stop and look at the Combine performance he put on before pulling a hamstring, I think at his height and at 268 lbs, running a 4.71 with a 1.61 at the 10 yard mark is pretty outstanding work and shows that this guy retains the same running ability that made him a five star recruiting prospect coming out of high school.
But, do you see that running ability on the tape? Yes and no. You see that marvelous acceleration on a stout 270 lbs frame on a near constant basis. He was so quick that he could step across a tackle's face and have his whole body into the gap before the tackle could barely even react. He could also show that acceleration in his outside speed rush.
But even though you see the acceleration all the time, you rarely see his ability to hit top gear. The reason is he played a 3-4 DE position where he had to bang around a lot on the inside, and those bangers have to conserve their energy a little. This is especially true of a guy that does not rotate out of the game much. You'll find that he might rotate out of the Michigan games about two or three series a game, but that he would always come back in on those drives on 3rd downs or important moments, or as soon as there was a break in the action be it a timeout, replay or change of quarter. This is a guy that Michigan wanted on the field at all times, even special teams, and if you're going to play a position that is a hybrid between a 3-Technique Defensive Tackle and a 5-Technique Defensive End, then you can't always afford to be motoring at full speed from across the formation to the ball. This left me, at times, with a sour taste in my mouth about Brandon Graham because I like my conversion players to be high motor. But then I do have to remind myself what Michigan was asking him to do.
At the Combine, he did 31 repetitions of the 225 lbs bench press. That's a fantastic number, but in a way I wouldn't be surprised if he could do more at hsi Pro Day. He was able to do 28 reps coming out of high school. But the main reason I think he could do more is on the tape, he is a hellishly strong player. I don't toss that term around lightly. Rolando McClain is to me hellishly strong for his position. But I don't think there's a player in the draft that shows stronger upper body and core strength relative to his projected position than Brandon Graham.
Rather than explain it, I'll just show you, using this fantastic video that Richard put together for Universal Draft.
YouTube- Universal Draft Presents Brandon Graham OLB - Michigan
What I would like to focus on in that video is Richard's first section, dealing with his ability at the point of attack. I don't know if there's another player in this draft that knocked offensive tackles backward as far and as consistently as Brandon Graham. It's evident everywhere in that video. Just about every time he engages, he always gets that offensive line back further than he wanted to go. On a stretch play, such as the first clip in the video, Kyle Callaway has absolutely no intention of playing so deep on his side of the line of scrimmage, but he didn't have much choice because that's what Brandon Graham does to you. I wanted to come up with a video of my own that was just purely a mix tape of Brandon Graham knocking offensive linemen and tight ends to the ground. He does it more often than any defensive player I saw this year.
And we're not talking about terrible offensive linemen, here. Kyle Callaway, though slow, is a very powerful and polished tackle. Bryan Bulaga is naturally gifted and will be a first rounder. Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin has an excellent chance of becoming a first round tackle a year from now. Though every one is not necessarily featured in Richard's video, there is other tape out there of Graham having his way with the likes of Dennis Landolt, Sam Young, Justin Boren, Jon Asamoah, Jim Cordle, J.B. Shugarts, Ciron Black, Chris Scott and Selvish Capers. Some of those guys aren't world beaters but they're pretty respectable as far as college OLs go, and you have to keep in mind that almost no college DL faces the best of the best constantly. The key is that Brandon Graham flip flops from right to left very often during a game, and he also switches to the interior, and so before a game is through he will end up having faced four out of the five offensive line with regularity, not to mention tight ends. Most of the premium Defensive End prospects you watch at the college level rush over the Right Tackle, and so rarely match up with the more premium players a college team might have at Left Tackle or Guard. Brandon Graham had to face everybody.
The strength comes in two forms. A lot of positions in football work out to how well you use your hands, and Graham uses them the best I saw of any defensive end or rush end type of player this year. Though I think Jason Worilds might have more polished hands, Graham's are physically stronger. He can consistently shock and shed, all day long. He gets his hands up and out, pushing the offensive line's upper body with that strength you see in his bench press, but then he grabs hold of the pads and jersey and can rip the player to the side or even straight down to the ground. Remember, this guy knocks a lot of people to the ground.
He also has enormous core strength. This is a point of contention between Richard and I because he doesn't believe that Graham stands up to double teams in run blocking but I've watched his games against Wisconsin, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State, as well as the Senior Bowl, and I just disagree. This is a 270 lbs man often going up against a combined 600 lbs of road grating football ugly, and when he gets those hands up, digs in and goes flat-backed, it's not easy to dig him out. And when you do, he's excellent at using those hands to shed and get behind the wall for a shot at the ball. There's a clip in the video above, it's at 1:10 into the video and it shows him being absolutely mauled to the ground by a Penn State Tight End. It's funny that particular clip is in there because I also had that one earmarked for any video I create for Brandon Graham. The reason? It's literally the only time I've seen anything even close to that happening in all of the games I've seen of Brandon Graham's this year.
But what does a defensive player NEED to be able to do if he wants to pull out to a space position like linebacker? Even before we're talking about being able to back pedal, cover, etc. Think more basic.
He needs to be able TACKLE.
That's what a linebacker is. Every position has primary and secondary jobs. But a linebacker is a guy that primarily brings people to the ground. A defensive lineman can do his job on a primary basis by disrupting the flow of the play in the backfield and absorbing blockers. A defensive back can do his job on a primary basis by covering really well. A linebacker does his job by on a primary basis by flowing to the ball carrier and bringing him down.
Brandon Graham finishes plays. That's one of the best attributes you can say about a player is that he finishes. His time as a linebacker for 11 years before moving to the defensive line in Michigan shows in the way he breaks down and brings down the ball carrier in the backfield and in the open field. He tackles with authority and strength. You may not see it in the video, but he did an excellent job on several occasions against Ohio State going into the open field against a guy as elusive and athletic as Terrelle Pryor, and bringing him down. He is urgent, he's got great form, and he has enough burst to recover. There's also a good play in the Senior Bowl where on an outside rush he beats Chris Scott soundly around the edge to pressure Zac Robinson. Zac did an excellent job sensing the pressure, and gives a subtle little move so that all Graham can get hold of is his shoulder. Robinson sees open landscape in front of him on 1st & 10, and takes off up the field. He's actually a fairly quick runner, but not quick enough for Graham, who after sweeping by with a fistful of air, was able to change directions and accelerate up the field and take Robinson down from behind before he could gain more than 6 yards. It doesn't seem like much but the uncanny pocket sense and subtle deke that Robinson displayed on that play with a wide open field in front of him should have earned him 10 yards at the very least, especially since he's a legitimate 4.68 runner.
Some of you might remember a video I did of Brian Price, the UCLA Defensive Tackle that has made a heck of a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage the last two years. I split that video into a section of him aggressively making a play on the football, and a section of him falling onto the ground. I called the phenomenon his "Price Tag" (see what I did there?). He plays with a lot of aggression and explosion but it isn't controlled or balanced and so he is prone to getting knocked to the turf. In the excellent video and analysis that Richard did for Derrick Morgan, you will notice a similar phenomenon.
I submit that Brandon Graham is the player that both of those players WISH they were. He plays aggressively with a lot of explosion, but he is controlled and balanced. He uses his hands expertly to weave through trash and stay alive. He can recover, he can change from forward to reverse on his feet. I once said that Ronnie Brown reminds me of a bowling ball because, how do you knock a bowling ball down? It just rolls. Well, Brandon Graham is the defensive equivalent. He's very difficult to put on the ground, even when he's playing as dangerously aggressive as he does in his position, and this makes him a difficult player to deal with.
As a matter of perspective, and because we are Dolphins fans and there are free agents that we care about aside from just draft prospects, I do take the time to fire up the NFL Rewind machine and watch NFL players around the league play football. It always strikes me how even the most mediocre of NFL players is more advanced than some of the best draft prospects. As a for instance, if I can trade a low round pick for Cliff Avril I certainly see no need to draft a Ricky Sapp. As another example, with all of this discussion about Dez Bryant and how good he is or will be, I look at Miles Austin and I see a superior football player as we sit here today, and I see no reason why I wouldn't send the #12 overall for that guy in lieu of spending it on Dez Bryant. And I'm a huge Dez fan, as you might have guessed.
But what strikes me about Brandon Graham is every time I watch him and I look at the nuances, I notice that he's one of the few players that already does certain things at an NFL level. His strength, his hands, his balance, his tackling, his ability to finish, those are all already NFL, just batteries included right out of the box.
As for mobility, that is the big wildcard, isn't it? How do you project a guy in coverage that hasn't covered in a while? Well for one thing you see how he moves in space. Unfortunately I haven't created these videos yet but I have isolated a number of instances where I can get a good look at his ability to go forward and backward, drop into a coverage, using his hips and his ankles. I have to say that from everything I have seen, while he is not quite as smooth as Thaddeus Gibson, and he doesn't quite have the ankles or toes of Everson Griffen, he is a good blend of the two and highly adequate in space. I believe more so than Derrick Morgan. His balance is the key and the ability to shift from forward to reverse and use his acceleration is a big key for him.
Unfortunately because of his hamstring pull, we did not get to see him run through Combine linebacker drills. It's not much, but I found this on YouTube that shows him running through some similar drills.
YouTube- Brandon Graham trains for the NFL combine
If you fast forward to the 4 minute mark, that's when you start to see the good stuff. The best thing to point out is how foot conscious he is. He's a short stepper and he keeps his feet under him. He has speed, speed isn't an issue, but that foot consciousness is the source of his balance. (BONUS EDIT: Forgot to mention...look at the size of his freaking calves!)
Overall, last year in Denver, Mike Nolan coached a defense that took Robert Ayers in the first round of the draft. Ayers was really a poor man's Brandon Graham, but a good comparison nonetheless. The reason I say so is because Robert had not played linebacker in college but he was a linebacker out of the cradle, so to speak, just like Brandon Graham. The Broncos put him in space based on that past experience. I thought he played well, and I have watched a fair amount of Broncos football on NFL Rewind this off season. Others disagree. But what I will say is that while Ayers was a guy whose light only clicked on in time for his senior season, and still wasn't super productive, Graham is a guy that has been taking to whatever the coaches dish him since his sophomore year in college, becoming a super productive multiple year standout.
A long time ago I remember looking at Bob Sanders and thinking if this guy were three inches taller he'd go in the top 10. Talent overcame the lack of height. As I sit, I look at Brandon Graham and think if this guy were three inches taller he'd be a prospect for the #1 overall, in a draft that doesn't contain Ndamukong Suh or an elite quarterback. Will talent overcome similarly? I really, genuinely believe so.
And so, Eric Berry and Dez Bryant aside, this is my guy.
EDIT: BONUS VIDEO SECTION - BRANDON GRAHAM GOES TO THE SENIOR BOWL
I'm sticking this in well after the fact but seeing as how I put this post up at 11:30pm, I figure a bunch of folks will only be reading it for the first time tomorrow. Here is Brandon Graham at the Senior Bowl.
YouTube- Universal Draft Presents OLB Brandon Graham at the Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl gave Graham the opportunity to answer back against the criticisms about his play making being tied to the system in Michigan. During Senior Bowl week he was dubbed "unblockable" in one-on-one drills by Mike Mayock. Well, he was nigh on "unblockable" during the game itself. Observations:
1. Higher motor. I thought his motor revved higher in this game than what I saw of him at Michigan. Was it because he knew everyone would be watching and grading him? Or was it because he knew he wouldn't be asked to play such an energy-exerting role for 90+ percent of the game's snaps? That is anyone's guess but even if it's the former rather than the latter, it's not a bad thing because it means he can be coached to hustle more with the proper motivation.
2. Double teams from zone. They never sent a Tight End or Back to chip or double team him, which I think was probably not allowed or would have at the very least been frowned upon, but due to the play calls and the defensive alignments he did face a fair amount of help from the Left Guard during the game.
3. More depth to his pass rush. With a week of practice under his belt playing a slightly different more traditional position, his pass rush had more variety to it. I dare say I even saw a spin move counter in there somewhere. I think there's a lot of upside to his 3rd down game at the pro level when coaches get him more used to outside pass rush and start to help him explore his counters.
4. He beat everyone like a swiss army drum. I don't care what reasons anyone may have for being a detractor and I do respect those opinons, but I don't think there was a single player he faced that game that he didn't beat at least once. Jimmy Graham couldn't even slow him down. Ciron Black is still flinching three months later. Selvish Capers was beaten, Chris Scott was beaten, I believe Anthony McCoy was beaten...is it even possible for the Miami staff to have coached this game and not said to themselves, "Wow, this guy is killing us"? The quarterbacks were feeling phantom pressure all game because they knew they couldn't trust their protection against him.
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