The Chicago Bears had been monitoring Thomas Graham for a long time during his run at Oregon. Their area scouts no doubt had his name circled quite often due to the number of plays he was making. However, it would’ve been so easy to forget about him by 2020. That was when the cornerback chose to opt out of playing due to COVID-19 concerns. Most tend to agree this is why he fell in the NFL draft.
So what compelled Chicago to take him when they did? The way things were going, it wouldn’t have been a huge surprise if Graham didn’t get drafted at all. Something that happened to several players who opted out. Was it just his tape and interviews or something else? The rookie corner seems to think one of the biggest benefits to his finding his way to Chicago was the Senior Bowl. Being able to attend that event despite not playing as a senior was huge for getting teams a look at him before the draft. Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reported his thoughts.
“I ran a 4.45 and I was happy with that. And then just kind of showing people that I’ve still got it when it came to playing on the field. And I felt like I did that at the Senior Bowl.”
“The Senior Bowl just helped, just being able to actually be out there and be in football, so it wasn’t truly that far away from me,” Graham said. “The only thing is I’ve kind of got to get adjusted to the calls and the checks. Sometimes I make the same checks when I was back in college. You feel me? They ain’t the same.”
Being at the Senior Bowl wouldn’t have been enough.
It was that Graham stood out. Most of the week during drills he always seemed to be somebody delivering consistently good reps. Wide receivers felt his presence constantly and quarterbacks didn’t enjoy throwing the ball in his direction. There is video evidence to ball this up too. Onlookers found it hard to miss him whenever they watched head-to-head matchups.
Thomas Graham Jr. had some really strong reps Day 1 at the Senior Bowl. Great body positioning, crisp feet, flips the hip with ease, stays patient, and ends up sticking to Darby like glue. pic.twitter.com/zld4CSBktG
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 29, 2021
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It isn’t the first time this has happened. Just last year another young cornerback used the Senior Bowl as a platform to capture the Bears’ attention. That was Kindle Vildor, their eventual 5th round pick. So it is fairly clear GM Ryan Pace and his personnel people put a lot of stock in defensive backs who perform well during that event. Graham is merely the latest proof.
Thomas Graham may contribute immediately
Or at least he’ll have a chance to. The Bears have begun working him at both outside corner and nickel corner in minicamp practices thus far. A strong sign they believe he’s capable of playing both. This should only increase his odds of seeing the field. Presuming the rookie is able to make a positive impression when training camp arrives at the end of July. It won’t be easy.
Plenty of fellow competitors will be waiting for him. Vildor being one of them. Also in the mix will be veteran Desmond Trufant, former 6th rounder Duke Shelley, and other notable signings like Tre Roberson and Artie Burns. The only cornerback who is guaranteed a starting job at this point is Jaylon Johnson. Everything else will be up for grabs. That is rare on a defensive unit known for such stability in recent years.
Standards will be quite high.
Not that Thomas Graham is complaining. He recognizes the situation. He’s a 6th round pick. The Bears aren’t going to hand him anything. If he wants to play, he’ll have to go out there and earn it. There isn’t any room for entitlement in his position. That should make the next few months enjoyable to watch. Hopefully, he steps up to the challenge and becomes yet another quality late-round find for Chicago.