Brandon Graham should make Eagles fans feel better about Derek Barnett
Maybe you’ve thought about this. Maybe you haven’t, but could Derek Barnett be just like Brandon Graham? Maybe he’s just a late bloomer for the Eagles.
Think back to the 2017 NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles had the 14th-overall selection, and the theory was they’d go with a cornerback. They didn’t. Philly, instead, gave everyone a head fake and went with a defensive lineman. Ever since that day, Derek Barnett has had to hear that he’s the man that broke Reggie White‘s sack record with the Tennessee Volunteers and he should be one half of one of the league’s best pass rushes seeing as how Philly already had Brandon Graham on the other side of the formation.
Graham’s Eagles career began eight seasons earlier when Philly, again, gave everyone the head fake. It was believed that they were trading up to take standout safety with the Texas Longhorns, Earl Thomas, and Thomas would fill a void Philly had been unable to fill after Brian Dawkins left. Philly went with the pass rusher, and that’s where the stories of Barnett and Graham intersect.
Now, as teammates, these two seem similar. They play the same position, defensive end. Graham was a late bloomer. Barnett appears to be one too. Both frustrated fans early in their careers. Unfortunately, Philly can’t afford to wait years for the light to come on for ’96’.
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The numbers appear to be in Barnett’s favor. In his first 30 games, he’s tallied 56 total tackles, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown. Graham totaled 56 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery over the course of his first 32 games.
Sometimes, things take a while. Maybe Eagles fans need to employ a little more patience with Barnett, but if you are a fan you have to hope that explosion comes sooner rather than later.