Brandon Graham predicts he will run a 4.5 second 40-yard dash
 

A quickie chat with Brandon Graham

Maybe the Dolphins draft Rolando McClain because everyone loves the guy and everyone says he's going to be a star. Maybe they take Eric Berry (if he's there) because they need a playmaking free safety. Maybe they reach for a nose tackle or a wide receiver.

I still love Michigan's Brandon Graham.

Have I made that point to you guys enough this week? Even as the adoption papers are being drawn up, I wanted to share with you yet more reasons I think this star DE-OLB from Michigan is the real deal and should be considered at No. 12 overall -- contrary opinions from Mel Kiper and Todd McShay and all the other draft pundits notwithstanding.

I direct you to this interview Graham did with Scout.com during Senior Bowl week -- before he went off and won the game MVP award with five tackles and two sacks.

In the interview Graham says a couple of things that caught my attention:

He expects to run in the 4.5s at the Indianapolis Combine next week. And he loves the idea of playing 3-4 outside linebacker.

"Oh yeah, I feel real good," Graham says about dropping in coverage. "I've been working on my hips, working on my drops every day in practice for Michigan ... With a little coaching from the NFL guys, I believe I can get it done."

Graham has no shortage of confidence. And he couples that with something of a chip that dares naysayers to disbelieve he can do whatever he sets out to do. That's why he says he wants to run in the 4.5s at the Combine.

"I'm excited because I like it when people doubt me," he says. "That's just a challenge and I like challenges and I'm going to try to fulfill it. And if I don't, then I gave it my all and that's all I can say."

One thing Graham has shown in all his games and all the practices at the Senior Bowl was a seemingly infinite desire. He wants to be good. He wants to improve. He wants to get to the quarterback. He wants to be an NFL star.

"[I'm] just trying to show that my motor's always going," he says, "I love football and I want to make plays and sack the quarterback."

You combine want-to and talent and you know what you have?

A very good NFL player.

So much for drafting him in the 2nd round........damnt.

I would be all for seeing Graham in red and gold next year. Unfortunately him sliding into the early second round seems very unlikely after his senior bowl performance. If the equally unlikely trade down scenario happened I would be all for grabbing him.

4.5 forty for a pass rusher = who cares.

I was working on my new three round mock and have Graham going to the Dolphins at #12.

Big fan, but don't see it. Not a 4.5. I hope he runs like a 5.1 and drops all the way to our 2a.

I don't know what your on, but a 4.5 for an LB or DE is fast. Urlacher ran a 4.56, and Simeon Rice ran a 4.58

except for in a 3-4 situation that pass rusher will also be in coverage which could definitely benefit from speed.

Im more interested in his shuttle times and how many reps he puts up.

Graham has become one of my favorites in this class. If he can run a 4.5 40, plus great 10-20 yard burst times he will be a top 20 selection. I know it won't happen, but I would honestly be happy if KC used their 1st on him. The guy has "it". Who wouldn't want Lamaar Woodley?

You think there is a correlation between 40 speed and how a OLB/DE tweener will do in the NFL?

Cushing ran a 4.79, Matthews a 4.67 and Everette Brown a 4.73 last year. Suggs ran a disappointing 40 from what I recall as well. Ware ran a 4.65 at the combine.

A 4.5 would be impressive though. I don't think he will do it, but you can't argue that it wouldn't be impressive.

Where did I say that? I said running a 4.5 for DE or OLB is fast.

If somehow it could be proven to you that he was the next DeMarcus Ware, would anybody have trouble drafting him at #5?

If he runs combine drills like Ware did, I would have NO PROBLEM taking him at 5.

He wont though. Ware is/was a freak.

If he was the next DeMarcus Ware, you take him at #1.

'
Agreed, but even I don't think THAT highly of him. If he slpis out of the top 20 I would SERIOUSLY look into trading up for him.

Yeah, but the question posed was if you knew he was the next Ware, what do you do.

FTR I dont really care too much about front seven players 40 time (with the exception of ILBs that are required to cover backs and tight ends). If he is running the 40 in a real game they just gave up a TD and it doesnt really matter. I want guys that have great agility, strength and are smart in real games, save the 40 for the guys in the secondary where the drill is something that directly relates.

Oh I know, I was just pointing out that even I(his biggest fanboy) don't think he is in that class... but agreed if somehow you KNEW that.. he goes #1 in a hearbeat.

It's not a perfect predictor, but a 3-4 OLB is responsible for covering a lot of ground in the outside run game and they have to have the fluid hips to do well in coverage assignments, particularly in guarding the flats. So yes, it's a very, very nice luxury to have a guy who can absolutely fly.

Especially in a Crennel 3-4, where your DE isn't asked to make plays and depends on your LB to be the main guardian of the outside shit, speed is a really nice thing to have. Your other examples are different. In Baltimore and especially Dallas, D-linemen are allowed to do more to assist the OLB.

Even with Kindle and Hughes still on the board? Or a guy like Ricky Sapp?

I don't think that the Chiefs can afford to give up picks to move up and I'd be interested in your views about the scenario of Graham still available at, say, 20, but Kindle and Hughes and Sapp are still on the board.

I watched Hughes a lot the past several seasons, being we get a lot of TCU games here (conference), and I don't know if Graham offers you anything above and beyond what Hughes does. Pretty comparable players, but I admit not watching many Michigan games the past couple of seasons.

Kindle looks like the more complete player for a 3-4 OLB in terms of being able to play either side effectively than either Hughes or Graham.

I just don't think that in that scenario that a trade up would be prudent, but I would love to hear your take on it.

This is one thing we can agree on wholeheartedly.

fact is, it wouldn't bother me any to see the Chiefs use that high second rounder trade down to later in the second an get another pick.

This draft is deep, and there are a lot of guys going later in the draft that could help this team.

**** it! Take him at 5, Pioli! Book it!

I can say unequivocally that I would much rather draft Graham at 5 than ANY OL in this class there.

Hughes and Graham are completely different types of OLBs, you are right in that Kindle could play both sides. I would be hard pressed to take Graham over Kindle... but right now (precombine) I would take Graham over Hughes in a heartbeat. Graham is a LB that played DE in college. Hughes is a RB that played DE in college... vastly different learning curve when they arrive in the NFL.

Sapp? Not a huge fan, but I haven't studied him as much as the other three so no comment there.

It's pretty academic because a) he isn't likely to slip past 20 and B) even if he did, I don't see us trading a pick to move up unless Pioli sees as much value in him as I do.

I simply don't trust the Chiefs enough yet to say more picks is better... I would rather get "safe" bets like Berry and Graham then 4 reaches or projects.

This goes against my general principles when it comes to the draft... but as I said ... until I trust the Chiefs to draft well, more picks = more scrubs to cut in training camp. Although it can also be argued that if they are COMPLETELY clueless than more picks means they are likely to get a few keepers just by random chance....

Lemme mull this over some more...

I think, in watching him play last preseason, they hit on a keeper just by random chance in Colin Brown.

They screwed up by drafting him, thinking he was a RT prospect, but he appears to be a solid guard prospect.

Of course, they had to wait till TC to figure out he didn't have the tools to play RT before moving him.

And all the flack I took last year for saying he was an OG instead of a RT.. even by you at the time.

Me?

What the hell are you talking about?

I was pissed about the selection.

Here, a couple of posts from last year.

I fully expected him to be moved to guard, and actually was neg repped by someone because of that belief.

Well then.. I must have you confused with a mizzou homer. But there were very very very few of us who thought he would be a guard.

Here's another one for you.

The whole parcells/belichik/peeholi school of scouting favors longer armed taller defenders at DE and OLB. One thing you won't here from any Parcells prospect is, "He might be undersized". Not that Graham is small weightwise, but at 6'1 he does have a fairly squatty build and short arms. I personally think he'd be great but would be surprised to see Parcells draft him. Hell, he didn't even want to draft Demarcus Ware.

Why not OLB Norwood with the 2b pick?

I dont think you are giving Pioli and Co enough credit. EVERYONE was dogging on that pick at the time. We don't know what they drafted him for.

i don't like Norwood nearly as much as Graham and Hughes but we may end up going that direction.




i just cross my fingers and hope that one of them slips into the 2nd

If we draft Berry that's great but I'd kinda like to see Pioli do what he did last year and reach with the pick and pick Graham. If Graham aces the combine there's a good chance he'll go 10 or better anyway so why the hell not?

PhilFree:arrow:

We do know that Brown worked exclusively at RT through OTAs, mini camps, and for the first couple of weeks of TC, so if they were planning to move him to guard all along, that was a pretty stupid way to go about doing it.

No, the fact that he did all that work at RT serves as strong evidence they had every intention of playing him at RT, but the work through camp showed them they made a draft error.

Brown, Morgan and Cottam have got to show me something this year. Just some sign that management knew WTF they were doing when they took them.

I'm not 100% sure about you thoughts on Brown. Why couldn't they have had the thought process that this guy probably transpires to G in the NFL but let's work him at RT first to see if there's a chance he can play there. If he can't we'll move him to guard? It's not like it was a high draft pick. Why couldn't they have drafted a guy to play o line instead of RT or G specificly?

PhilFree:arrow:

:facepalm:

phil, the way you worded that killed the premise.

I agree that we value versatility very highly and that the Colin Brown pick was made with that in mind.

Oh c'mon man you've got a better response then that. You're the one who is making assumptions about the thought process involved in Browns drafting. Was he a 5th round pick I don't remember exactly. IMO to think they drafted a guy in the 5th round as specificly a RT is nothing more then an assumption. Now if you have some real infor of Haley or Pioli stating that Brown was drafted as a RT only prospect then I'll respect that. Alot of RTs in college end up guards in the NFL don't they? That being the case I would think that the thought process was two fold in regards to Brown. I don't know that 100% though. Stands to reason in my mind none the less.


PhilFree:arrow:

I'm not sure I know what premise you mean? Elaborate please.

PhilFree:arrow:

We're all making assumptions.

But the fact is, ther were more athletic, versatile linemen available when Brown was drafted.
They worked him at RT, had him listed on the website ther until about the second week of camp.

After his first day at guard, his position was changed on the website.

Fair enough. Maybe they liked his size, 335 is a big man. Maybe they should make him a NT./jk

PhilFree:arrow:

I think it's certainly possible that the Chiefs drafted Brown to be a guard all along. They just wanted to see if he could play RT. It's not like we don't need a RG too and it's not like we used a high pick on the guy.

Were there more athletic linemen available? Absolutely. But, athleticism for an offensive lineman isn't as important as size, strength, intelligence, and technique (no particular order).

Brown has the first 3 attributes and they can teach him the last one.

I could not agree more, (although 4.8 seems more within the realm of possibility) I could care less about what his shorts & t-shirt speed measures at, he is explosive and powerful.

In what may appear a hypocritical stance, I also pray Taylor Mays slides to us, because a physical freak with his desire for greatness is a true rarity. His film is satisfactory, but not spectacular. However, the value of a talent of his caliber with the will to improve himself is uncommon.

NFL network just said his best time was 4.69.

not very fast but i think he put a shit ton of reps at the bench press

31 reps---for Brandon Graham

Good. Maybe he will slip to the 2nd round, but I doubt it.