After cutting Kyle Fuller the Chicago Bears were very likely to draft a cornerback. The question was when with so many other needs. Fortunately for the Chicago Bears, they were able to find Thomas Graham in the sixth round, who will compete to earn a roster spot.Graham opted out last season so he flew under the radar as a draft prospect. Did the Chicago Bears find a steal? Here are five stats to know.
5. Started As a True Freshman
Thomas Graham opted out of what would have been his senior season. However, this is a player with 39 career starts. That is because he jumped onto the field as a true freshman and started every game.
That is three straight years of never missing a start at cornerback. You can hold the 2020 year against him, but I think everyone in this country is okay with throwing out the year. Especially in the PAC-12, where the season was delayed much longer than other leagues, it had to be hard for Thomas Graham to decide what to do.
Considering it was such a tough decision, it is fair to say that Thomas Graham started every game of his college career. That is over 2,600 career snaps. That says something.
When you play as a true freshman, you are typically stepping on a field against players older and physically more mature than you. His ability to jump in seamless may make the transition to the NFL more relatable for him.
4. Played the field cornerback
In the Oregon defense, they would not play sides as much as they would play the field and the boundary. Because the hash marks are so far away in college and much closer in the NFL, you have to play the far side and near side much differently.
So, Oregon had a boundary corner, who would play the near side, and would have less ground to cover. He would defend the close sideline. Then, there is the field, which is the side with much more space. Weaker arms QBs will not test you as much, but you are prone to a wide route tree, as well as switches, and overall more space to move.
Screens and options often come to his side so he has to be ready to tackle on the dime. There are strengths that come from playing the field corner role that translates to the NFL.
While some may see his size and think that he can play the slot, he has just 11 slot snaps in his career. Considering he played the field side, which is more open, the transition is possible, but not something he showed at Oregon.
3. Athleticism
As noted in the past slide, there are going to be people who call for him to step into the slot. That is because he has below average size and length. Below you can see just how athletic Thomas Graham is.
Overall, we knew the experience wasn’t causing his fall into round six. It is clearly his athletic measurements.
Beyond being small, his speed is dead average. That also came with a below-average 10-yard split and low burst scores. Most corners who transition into the slot have a great change of direction skills. That can typically be shown in their 3-cone and short shuttle. Thomas Graham does not have that type of ability in his testing either.
Looking at his athletic measurements and you can see a few decent comparisons. However, that list also shows that Kindle Vildor is definitely a better athlete than Graham, although they do have similar size and speed overall.
2. Ball Skills
If he is not an elite athlete then how did he get on the field so young and hold up in the PAC-12? Sometimes you have to take a shot on traits. As a true freshman, Graham also led the team in interceptions with three.
As a sophomore, he led the team in passes defended and recorded a pick-six. Then, as a junior, he once again led the team in passes defended. Overall, he finished his career with 40 pass break-ups to go with 8 interceptions. That is impressive.
According to PFF, he recorded 7 forced incompletions and 17 coverage stops last year. He also dropped an interception. They gave him a better zone grade than man which does make sense.
Graham is not a player who does great following players and matching up in man, but he can read the quarterback’s eyes and make plays on the ball. This is a smart player, to say the least.
1. Penalties
According to PFF, Graham was hit with 21 penalties over his three-year career. That is rough when you think that the NFL is much more touchy. The issue with Graham is clear and comes back to his size, especially in man.
When he is matched up against bigger receivers, he almost is hanging on for dear life. Beyond that, his lack of quick feet gives him issues in transitions. He can get caught grabbing as he is slow to turn and run with WRs.
The key is to keep things in front of him as a zone corner playing off coverage. It does limit his ceiling and gives him potential matchup issues. However, his smarts and ball skills have a chance to succeed in the right areas. Sean Desai will hope to keep his technique more sound and place him in zone coverage.