From Daniel Jeremiah at NFL.com:
Graham is a powerful defensive tackle with outstanding leverage and instincts. He’s one of the most consistent players in the draft class. Against the run, he has an impressive short-area burst to attack blockers. He excels in block destruction. He stacks, finds the ball, chucks blockers to the side and collects tackles. He has lateral range to make plays down the line, too. He is always in a leverage position and never gets uprooted. In the pass game, he has a violent club/rip move and a powerful bull rush. His effort is outstanding. Overall, it’s easy to identify Graham as a former wrestler. He always has a full gas tank and he set the tone for the entire Michigan defense.
My Thoughts:
- At the top of the draft, I fear projection. I do not like looking at a player and saying, “IF x happens, they’ll be good at the next level.” This is also why I undervalue Combine metrics and intensely value game tape. When I see Graham play, I see a professional defensive tackle. In a draft this weak, that’s enough for me.
- Graham is a perfect complement for the big-bodied run stuffing of Andrew Billings and explosive potential of Gervon Dexter. The age of the Lawrence Taylors is over. The great defensive lines need 6-8 formidable contributors. Graham is one of those.
- It would shock me if Graham reached pick number ten but a lot of that will depend, as always, on the quarterbacks. (I don’t think any of these quarterbacks should be taken in the first round, but we all know that at least 2-3 will.) Ever since the selections of Christian Ponder and EJ Manuel, two nonsensical prospects, I always believe there’s a quarterback selection shock on the horizon. With QB-needy teams littering the top ten, look out.
