When word broke on Thursday night that the Eagles had traded up in the first round to the 13th pick, everyone assumed that they would select playmaking safety Earl Thomas. The Eagles have been missing a playmaker at the safety position since Brian Dawkins was released before the start of last season and this seemed like it was too good to be true for the boys in the City of Brotherly Love. When Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Eagles had taken Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham and not Thomas, everyone was stunned. While I was among the surprised, I thought it about it some more and I actually like the pick. I thought that going into the draft, Brandon Graham was the best pure pass rusher. The Eagles defense hinges on getting to the quarterback and Graham, teamed up with Pro Bowler Trent Cole on the other side, will provide nightmares to NFC East offenses.
It is also possible that the Eagles were just as high on their second round pick, saftey Nate Allen from South Florida as many were on the safety they passed over in the first round, Earl Thomas. Allen and Thomas are actually very similar players. Both are considered a little bit undersized, but accel in pass coverage and even have the ability to line up at cornerback. Allen is projected to be a big time playmaker in the Eagles defense, as he will be given the opportunity to play center field and use his excellent speed to make plays on the ball and help the Eagles get takeaways. The addition of Graham will cause quarterbacks to release the ball quicker and make poor decisions and the Eagles hope that their second round pick, Nate Allen will be the recipient of those poor decisions.
by Josh Weiner at the Sports Fan Blog Network
