Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham set to have a big year
Coming off one of his biggest seasons in his career, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is set to have a big year in 2017.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham has had a lot to prove ever since the 2010 NFL Draft. While many fans appreciate what Graham has accomplished at this point in his career, the decision to draft him has often being second-guessed. The Eagles had the opportunity to take the Seahawks five-time Pro Bowler and safety Earl Thomas. While Many fans still regret that the Eagles chose Graham over Thomas, Graham will show them he was a fine choice after the 2017-18 season has reached its’ conclusion.
This Eagles standout closed the 2016 season with 41 total tackles and 5.5 sacks. He also forced two fumbles, recovering one of them. His season began with a bang as he registered a sack in each of the first three games. Things would slow down during the second half of the season. Still, Graham’s contribution to the team can’t be measured in sacks alone.
According to Pro Football Focus, Graham pressured opposing quarterbacks 83 times last season. He finished with the second-most amount of pressures and third-most knockdowns in the NFL. He didn’t register a tremendous amount of sacks, but he forced more than his share of bad plays.
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The Eagles decided to focus on the defensive line in the first round of the draft. Adding to the line means there’s less pressure for Graham and his teammates. Offensive lines are sure to have their hands full with the Eagles front this season.
They’re already stacked with Fletcher Cox, Beau Allen, Timmy Jernigan, Chris Long, Vinny Curry and now Derek Barnett. With so many areas for opposing offensive coordinators to focus on, Graham can remain focused and doesn’t have to deal with the pressure of registering a huge sack total, which garnered him his fair share of criticism last season.
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As he heads into his eighth season in the league, Graham will be hunting for First-team All-Pro honors. Achieving that goal will give him the honor for the first time in his career. After losing that honor to Khalil Mack and Vic Beasley last season, expect him to come back with a vengeance. He hasn’t missed a single game since 2011, and if he’s healthy again in 2017, he’ll have the opportunity to make it happen. With some defensive upgrades through free agency and the draft, the Eagles could see a major increase in the production of some of their biggest names, Graham included.