2010 NFL Draft Prospects That Would Look Good in Patriot Blue: Brandon Graham

I'm not gonna sit here and pretend I'm the only person that's thinking Graham could go to the Patriots with the 22nd overall pick in the draft.  I guess I'm kind of jumping on a bandwagon here, but that's not my intent.  I think Graham would make a great addition to the Patriots, and there's a very real chance he is their selection in the first round.

Here are a few reasons why:

1.  Graham fits the mold of many small stature, high motor OLB's who have recently found success in the NFL.  Former assistant to Belichick Josh McDaniels got his first taste of an OLB in this mold last season (Dumervil), and if Belichick communicates at all with McDaniels over the summer, the latter will likely tell his former boss one can't go wrong with this type of player.  

Dumervil saw great success last season, particularly against several teams in the AFC North, posting multiple sack games against these opponents more than a few times.  He even recorded a four-sack game against the Browns.  The reason I mention this is because the Patriots are slated to play four games against the AFC North this upcoming season.  

The Chargers also had a hard time dealing with Dumervil, allowing him to sack Rivers twice in their first meeting.  That's a team the Patriots could face in the playoffs every season, so bring in a guy they have a hard time dealing with could be a great move.

2. The addition of Graham (presuming the other linebackers remain on the roster) would bring the third Michigan linebacker to the Patriots.  I don't know if that holds any real significance, but Belichick apparently likes how Michigan players are prepared.   Additionally, one would think that having that much common ground with the guys he's playing alongside of would ease the transition to the league for Graham.

3.  Graham is definitely one of the best pass-rushing talents in the draft.  The guy is 6'1"(ish) and weighs in at 270 pounds.  He bench pressed 225 lbs 31 times at the combine, but still has the agility of a 13-year-old gymnast.  He's a very active player who seems almost unblockable at times.  

He's got long arms, a great physical quality in the pass rush, and could line up at the DE or OLB spot.  Oh, on top of all that he ran a 4.6 40-yard dash.  The combine doesn't make or break a player in my opinion, but having that kind of speed means he can chase down opposing QBs, RBs, etc with more success than a slower player.

There are more and more guys around the league and in this draft pool that are this sort of hybrid, could play a few positions pass rusher, so if the Patriots wanted to fill a pass rushing need, they could go with any number of names here, and they could even fill that need with one of their three second-round picks.  

I'll probably even look at some of those other names later in the week (including some of the guys that could go with those later picks) but Brandon Graham wouldn't be a bad pickup in this draft.