Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagle

[ice grillin you]

probably 10 over the last four years but id say like 4-5 over the last two where i knew who he really was...and ive watched a shteinload of video of him over the last couple months

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

it speaks well for you people that you're so interested in my opinion.  perhaps there is hope yet.

Well, you've made a firm decision to hate the pick, and I applaud you for sticking to your guns.

[smeags]

what do you sit in a room with jaws ?

[ice grillin you]

no i sit in my living room
or a bar
get drunk
and watch college football every sat from 12 to 12


and then i go on this thing called youtube...or other sites that have tape of draft prospects

[Diomedes]

here's a summary of my objections

AR has lousy record spotting pass rushing talent, no reason to believe that changes here

the last time AR moved up for a DE it was a bust, not gonna assume this will work out any better.  three years 30 sacks, I'll stop bitching about the move.  anything less than that and my opinion stays the same

Graham is not two threes better than whatever other OLB/DE would have been available at 24.  compounding this objection is the unusual depth of talent in this year's draft...losing two solid chances at good players in order to move up for anything less than a consensus stud is dumb stupid retarded

DE is not as big a need as S, and Graham is not as solid a prospect as Thomas...nevermind drafting best available player vs. greatest need..what Reid did here is trade up for lesser talent at lesser need position

and oh yeah, I don't feel confident this kid can handle NFL linemen.  On this point, I'll admit that I don't know enough about football to credibly say who will or won't succeed, but whatever.  I doubt he'll do much.

[Drunkmasterflex]

ill gladly take responsibility if he turns into a probowler...but i dont go by what players are ranked or who says hes the best pash rusher in the draft (which is ridiculous btw) i go by what i see of him...and i dont see even close to a dynamic edge rusher

You also said Orakpo was slow off the ball, which is completely opposite of the truth.  Watch his 10 minute highlight video he is very quick off the ball, not to mention he has a pretty strong bull rush. 

[Rome]

This was actually a good read...

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100423/SPORTS06/100423054/1322/Draft-party-with-Michigans-Graham&template=fullarticle

For every shot ESPN absorbs, there are so many the cameras don't capture.

The NFL Draft may go on too long, be too inconvenient and not enough action. But in those 10-15 second moments when the network shows a player getting selected, with family and friends filling the room, all you see is joy.

It's the moment the players — and especially their families — will never forget.

This is the story of Brandon Graham, the adventure of his journey through his draft evening, and a few of the people who made it possible.

6:20 p.m. Thursday

Brandon Graham is running a bit late. Not that he'll miss anything, but he planned for a bit more downtime after he arrived at Birmingham's exclusive Townsend Hotel but before his big moment. The NFL Draft wouldn't start for more than an hour and he probably wouldn't be picked for more than two, so he had time. Walking in with his girlfriend, Carlyne Williams, his business manager and the manager's girlfriend, it was hardly an entourage.

If anything, Graham is low key and his plain white undershirt and Senior Bowl workout shorts showed: this was about comfort. Standing close enough was a plainclothes security guard, who would remain outside the door all night, probably the only person who could make Graham look small. Graham barely seemed to notice, though.

All he flashed was his signature ear-to-ear grin that disarms anyone he meets.

6:45 pm

Graham was showering in a hotel room as Williams ironed his lavender dress shirt and pinstripe suit pants, prepping for the night's presentation. A law school student, Williams attended Detroit Crockett, a bit before Graham. She simply wanted to make his day special. Graham's suit choice was a bit agonizing earlier in the day as he finalized between the four options offered by a few tailors. Amazing to Graham: that the tailors flew in from various spots in the country, just for him.

Part of the whirlwind of an elite draft pick, he said, shrugging. "I can't believe some of these teams would fly me in (for a visit) for just a couple hours," Graham said.

While Williams remained in the background most of the night, she allowed a bit of insight, sharing what makes Graham unique.

"He's always trying to find a positive in every situation," she said. "He always says, 'it's going to pay off eventually.' "

7:15 p.m.

When Graham enters the sixth floor suite, his salmon and lavender tie properly positioned beneath his freshly steamed jacket, more than a dozen family members from his father's side are waiting for him. All dressed up themselves, they let out a raucous cheer, admiring his suit and drawing that face-creasing smile.

His first hugs go to his 4-year-old sister MaKaylah Walton and his 5-year-old cousin Deangelo Alexander. He lifts them with ease, as he's tossed so many offensive linemen on the field.

While the New York invitation would have been a thrill with the other elite draftees, this seems much more Graham's environment, surrounded by family and friends. His father, Darrick Walton, stands in the back of the room, trying to soak it in.

Wearing his own striking blue suit, Walton just shook his head, overwhelmed at the moment. At various points in the day, counting down to the party, he couldn't even grasp that it was a weekday and felt nervous, simply reflecting on the years of telling his son this day would arrive, from the time he started in Little League football as he grew.

"I just sat home today and thought about all those times," Walton said. "Amazing."

7:32 p.m.

One of the main reasons Graham is so beloved? His innocence. He's still the kid who leaned off the balcony of the Townsend room while he was getting dressed, yelling to his high school coach, Rod Oden, who was walking down the street towards the hotel.

He's the one who heard later in the evening that his 1-month-old cousin, Laila Walton, was leaving the party. Instead of offering a non-looking dismissive wave, perfectly acceptable on his star night, he walked over to cradle her, rocking back and forth for five minutes, muttering, "I could kiss her all day."

That's the Graham these family members loved, the boy inside the man, the one mugging for photos as his 3-year-old cousin Tarreese Ealy used a digital camera – "You can't cover the flash," Graham playfully explained — and the one who looked at the screen with the draft starting and took a photo of the screen with his cell phone camera, capturing that moment.

"First pick, Brandon Graham," he yelled out, giggling as the room chuckled along with him.

8:30 p.m.

When the No. 10 pick came up for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Graham was still circling the room, chatting with family, friends who wanted a piece of him on family members cell phones, along with embracing the other side of his family after his mother, Tasha Graham, rolled in, bringing the room total over 25 people, well beyond the usual numbers for that suite.

It was all the wait staff could do to keep the drinks flowing, the pizzas hot and the trays of sliders and chicken wings full on the back table.

Graham finally got back to his seat for the spot he expected to go, to Jacksonville, which had made two trips to Detroit to see him, worked their way through every nook and cranny of Crockett and had countless conversations with Oden. So when Jacksonville surprised everyone by taking a projected second-round defensive lineman, the whole room gasped.

But Graham snapped right back, re-focused on the next pick, putting the disappointment in the past.

8:49 p.m.

Graham's cell phone was his lifeline for the night and it wasn't ringing much. A call here or there, but not the one he wanted. So when he grabbed the phone with San Diego on the TV screen, no one flinched, including him.

Later he explained his agent, Joel Segal, was explaining that Philly would take him at No. 13, but to stay calm until the team called. When they did, he grabbed the phone, took the call and stood up to roars in the room. Amidst the celebration, no one knew where he was going, just that he was.

Eventually he covered the phone to say Philly, before returning to the call, mostly offering "yes, coach" and repeating his desire to work hard. The room had cheered earlier when his name had popped on the "best available" list, but nothing like this.

When Philadelphia's trade was announced, grabbing Denver's spot at 13, the instant ESPN analysis was teams were possibly moving for Texas safety Earl Thomas.

"He don't know what he's talking about," yelled a party attendee, already an insider on Philly's real target. That's when the room silenced again, eight minutes after the first call, as they awaited the official stamping from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The words they waited years for finally arrived, the ESPN camera caught Graham's family in action, exploding in hugs, tears, while seeing themselves — on a few second delay, of course — on the screen with the ESPN exclusive. A moment that will last forever.

9:15 p.m.

The whirlwind just started for Graham, as he circled the room hugging everyone in sight, drinking a flute of Brut champagne, provided by the Townsend, accepting congratulations from friends on other people's phones, in between getting his Friday morning travel plans for Philly and holding about a five-minute conference call with the Philadelphia media (in the hallway to avoid the noise.)

As his mother, Tasha, sat on the couch — her day had started with a 9 a.m, hair appointment, a trip for makeup in the afternoon and helping all the kids get dressed. Her life was about to change as well, with her plan to move to her son's destination, finding a house and helping him settle in as both started a new life in a new place.

"It was beyond my expectations," Tasha said. "Being here, with family, friends and such a loving room, this boy took us all with him. Now, we're all ready to see him in the NFL."

Tasha was seated right next to her son when the Philadelphia call came, but she dismissed it, thinking it was just a local call. "It happened so fast, and you've got to enjoy the moment," she said. "It's just so overwhelming when it goes like that."

9:30 p.m.

Rod Oden, Crockett's football coach, has worked as hard as Graham "since the final whistle of the Ohio State game" trying to make sure everything fell right. Knowing Graham's trust level, shown by hugging people he's just met, Oden feared someone taking advantage of him. So he started taking the calls, at all hours. He heard from agents, financial people, teams, media, everyone imaginable and he only let a few through to Graham. His role was to be the gatekeeper, and that's what he was still doing Thursday night, asking Graham's business manager about his plans for the soon-to-be-wealthy star. (The 13th pick in the 2009 draft signed a five-year, $14 million contract with more than $10 million guaranteed.)

"Obviously Philly really wanted him," Oden said from the back of the room, where he had spent most of the night, as one of the few non-family members invited to the party. "They traded up in the first and gave two third-round picks to get him. It's a great city and a great fit for him. He gets to play the same position and is in a 4-3 defense, which he's always played."

After the pick was made, Oden's phone started blowing up as well. Former Crockett coaches, now in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, were already checking Philly's NFL schedule. Oden was already thinking about how his team — which planned to watch the draft from Buffalo Wild Wings in Ferndale — could go watch Graham play.

Lest you think 25-30 is a large party, that was small compared to the hordes of friends who wanted to come. It was Graham's decision to keep it family and just a few close friends.

"He kept saying, 'it's no big deal coach'," Oden said. "I said, this is a big deal. It's bigger than you. It's about the city of Detroit, Crockett High School, the University of Michigan."

10 p.m.

Graham was already making for the door, to greet others in the hotel lobby as the party started to wind down. Picks were still flashing on the television and some family members were staying in the suite, holding onto a night they didn't want to release.

But for anyone who expects this night to change Graham, to sap his innocence, will have to wait a little longer.

"I'm going to Philly, that's the best thing ever," he said. "They had Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick. McNabb's gone but I'm going to meet Vick. That's really cool."

9:30 a.m. Friday

What does the day after the biggest night of your life look like? If you're Brandon Graham, not quite as exciting. This morning, as he walked through Metro Airport on his way to catch a flight to Philadelphia for the day's festivities with the media and team officials, Graham ran into a reporter.

Wearing a black Philadelphia Eagles shirt, he was all alone with his roller suitcase, just another traveler wearing the gear of his favorite sports team. A day earlier, Graham wouldn't have given a second glance at someone supporting Philly. Now, that was his team.

[rjs246]

ill gladly take responsibility if he turns into a probowler...but i dont go by what players are ranked or who says hes the best pash rusher in the draft (which is ridiculous btw) i go by what i see of him...and i dont see even close to a dynamic edge rusher

You also said Orakpo was slow off the ball, which is completely opposite of the truth.  Watch his 10 minute highlight video he is very quick off the ball, not to mention he has a pretty strong bull rush. 

Burst?

[General_Failure]

From what I've read, his ear to ear grin has great burst and his chin has a nice bubble.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

here's a summary of my objections

AR has lousy record spotting pass rushing talent, no reason to believe that changes here

the last time AR moved up for a DE it was a bust, not gonna assume this will work out any better.  three years 30 sacks, I'll stop bitching about the move.  anything less than that and my opinion stays the same

Graham is not two threes better than whatever other OLB/DE would have been available at 24.  compounding this objection is the unusual depth of talent in this year's draft...losing two solid chances at good players in order to move up for anything less than a consensus stud is dumb stupid retarded

DE is not as big a need as S, and Graham is not as solid a prospect as Thomas...nevermind drafting best available player vs. greatest need..what Reid did here is trade up for lesser talent at lesser need position

and oh yeah, I don't feel confident this kid can handle NFL linemen.  On this point, I'll admit that I don't know enough about football to credibly say who will or won't succeed, but whatever.  I doubt he'll do much.

This might be your best football-related post ever, and every bit of it makes sense.  In fact I will say that my gut says you're totally right - both Earl Thomas AND Dez Bryant will make the Graham selection seem silly.

However, the highlights I've seen have been somewhat encouraging, and you like a guy that basically never got a break on a bad defense and made play after play.  The most encouraging things I've seen:
-Mixes up technique really well, sets up the OT for failure
-Enough speed to get around outside, effortless spin move is money
-Arms may be short but are strong and he gets a lot of movement with them, good natural technique
-He went to Michigan, so I hate him.  Thus, he has a better chance of being a great pro than Jared Odrick, Navorro Bowman, and Sean Lee combined.

[smeags]

no i sit in my living room
or a bar
get drunk
and watch college football every sat from 12 to 12


and then i go on this thing called youtube...or other sites that have tape of draft prospects

so you watched video of graham in over the last few months along with every other prospect out there ?

[Diomedes]

His first hugs go to his 4-year-old sister MaKaylah Walton and his 5-year-old cousin Deangelo Alexander. He lifts them with ease, as he's tossed so many offensive linemen on the field.



I stopped reading after this crap. 

[ice grillin you]

ill gladly take responsibility if he turns into a probowler...but i dont go by what players are ranked or who says hes the best pash rusher in the draft (which is ridiculous btw) i go by what i see of him...and i dont see even close to a dynamic edge rusher

You also said Orakpo was slow off the ball, which is completely opposite of the truth.  Watch his 10 minute highlight video he is very quick off the ball, not to mention he has a pretty strong bull rush. 

yeah in a 4-3 hand on the ground set i didnt think hed be good enougn to get around OT's in the nfl...which is why they made him a "LB"...even tho he really isnt one they set him out in space to get lose...and now smartly thay have him in a 3-4 set to even better utilize his skill set

[SD]

His first hugs go to his 4-year-old sister MaKaylah Walton and his 5-year-old cousin Deangelo Alexander. He lifts them with ease, as he's tossed so many offensive linemen on the field.



I stopped reading after this crap. 

Pretty much

I like how ESPN tries to draw an emotional connection to each pick. Like when the one lineman was announced Kolber is speaking soft and slow because his mother died 6 months ago.

[mpmcgraw]

He's excited to come to philly because............he wants to meet Mike Vick.

Nevermind.  I hate him.  All aboard the igy train.