Eagles Improving Other Teams in Top Rounds of NFL Draft

Jan 19, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) celebrates after the Seattle Seahawks recovered a San Francisco 49ers fumble during the 2013 NFC Championship football game at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated San Francisco 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

1) 2010 NFL Draft, First Round

Philadelphia Eagles select Brandon Graham, Defensive End (13th overall)

Seattle Seahawks select Earl Thomas III, Free Safety (14th overall)

There are multiple ways to approach what is arguably the crown jewel of draft whiffs in recent Eagles memory, but all of them equal eventually adding insult to injury for Philadelphia. With that in mind, the least of the Eagles problems in this instance was actually selecting Brandon Graham, and it’s a shame that his legacy in Philadelphia will likely end with a dark cloud around it — not for who he is, but for who he’s not.

Graham arrived in Philadelphia after the Eagles traded up from the 24th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft to the 13th overall selection, then owned by the Denver Broncos. The Eagles also gave up a pair of third round picks (70th overall, 87th overall) to sweeten the deal for such a big leap up the draft order.

Most, if not all Eagles fans, know the story too well by now. The Eagles had been heavily linked to star Texas Longhorns safety Earl Thomas leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft. Longtime Eagles safety Brian Dawkins had signed with the Denver Broncos after the 2008 season, and safety remained a dire need after 2009, so much that after the Eagles traded up most analysts present at Radio City Music Hall were convinced Thomas would be an Eagle in mere seconds. I, admittedly, hoped and believed in same result watching the trade happen at Lincoln Financial Field’s NFL Draft party.

Thomas ended up coming off the board with the very next pick at 14th overall, owned by the Seattle Seahawks. The following sentence is painful to read given the issues the Eagles have at safety four full seasons later: Earl Thomas has made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl three consecutive times (2011, 2012, 2013), as well as playing a key role in helping to ignite the Seattle Seahawks secondary to the tune of winning Super Bowl XLVIII.

Not only did the Seahawks get better by adding Thomas, the Eagles also directly improved two other teams as a result of their trade with the Broncos. After the picks were made, it turned out that Philadelphia directly contributed to the Dallas Cowboys selecting wide receiver Dez Bryant (24th overall) and the Baltimore Ravens selecting tight end Ed Dickson (70th overall). In case you were wondering, the Denver Broncos also benefitted by selecting wide receiver Eric Decker with the 87th overall pick, which was the final piece of the trade offered in the deal that brought Graham to Philadelphia.

To phrase it in a slightly more sadistic manner, the Eagles set off a chain of events allowing the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks to select future Pro Bowl players, the Ravens to select a member of their Super Bowl XLVII champions roster, and the Broncos to select a 2013 Pro Bowl alternate who didn’t get to play because he was too busy preparing for Super Bowl XLVIII. The only team to leave that trade without any significant contributions? Your Philadelphia Eagles.