Michigan football: 5 most underrated players in Michigan Wolverines history

Brandon Graham was one of the best pass-rushers in Michigan football history.

Brandon Graham has been a stabilizing force on the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line for a decade now. But before he was a Super Bowl champion with the Eagles, Graham starred in the trenches for the Wolverines. Graham played his college ball in Ann Arbor from 2006 to 2009 before becoming a first-round pick by the Eagles in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Initially recruited as a linebacker, Graham transitioned to defensive end as a freshman in 2006. That proved to be a marvelous decision for him. He made two all-conference teams in his Michigan tenure, taking home First-Team All-Big Ten, First-Team All-American and Big Ten Most Valuable Player honors as a senior in 2009.

In four years with Michigan, Graham had 138 total tackles, 56 went for a loss of yardage and 29.5 were sacks. As an upperclassman at Michigan Graham had at least 20 tackles for a loss of yardage and 10 sacks in his final two seasons in the Big Ten. His disruptive presence in the trenches for Michigan is why he went so high in the 2010 NFL Draft to the Eagles.

Today, Graham remains one of the most underrated players in the NFL. He has never made a Pro Bowl, but did earn Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2016, a year ahead of the Eagles winning Super Bowl 52 over the New England Patriots. While he only has 51 career sacks in the NFL, Graham’s ability to generate pressure has made him such a valuable commodity in Philadelphia for years.