
Oregon’s secondary was a joke in 2016 - the season before Graham Jr.’s arrival - allowing PAC-12 foes to rack up an average of 285 yards per contest. played a crucial role in rebuilding the Oregon football program after the firing of Mark Helfrich. How would you describe Graham Jr.’s journey at Oregon? Where did he most make an impression?Īdam Chimeo: I don’t think it’s outlandish to say that Thomas Graham Jr. In fact, based on the three years he did start, many draft analysts saw him as a safe early Day 2 talent. would’ve been regarded as one of the best corner prospects in this draft. An impact contributor from the get-go, it certainly seems that if not for his decision to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, Graham Jr.
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What I found was a cornerback perfectly suited to a contemporary defensive scheme, and a man who will never let himself dwell in his own mental doldrums.ġ. I spoke with Adam Chimeo, the Managing Editor of Addicted to Quack - SB Nation’s Oregon affiliate - to learn a little more about the fiery Graham Jr.
#Brady breeze draft profile skin#
Your skin must be thicker than the raw hide of any swamp beast, and your memory shorter than that of a goldfish, especially when burned.įortunately, for the Bears and Thomas Graham Jr, that seems to be his exact profile as a defensive back. To succeed in the slot, or on the boundary, you have to be tough, smart, and confident. It has also arguably never been more important to a defense to have competent cornerbacks, on the inside and outside.
#Brady breeze draft profile professional#
It has arguably never been more hard to play professional cornerback. One of the main ways to carry on such a mandate is to defang the cornerback in these situations, to skew toward the receiver winning the all-important one-on-one battle. The NFL has not eliminated the very concept of defense, but it would be foolish to suggest they don’t prefer an emphasis of passing yards, offense, and points.

But they have to straddle the line between being physical and demanding with receivers, or otherwise impede progress with sometimes the faintest of touches while being punished for it.Ĭhances are, in the event of a mythical 50-50 ball, a cornerback in 2021 is not going to receive the benefit of the doubt if there’s tons of contact between him and the receiver. Their job, mostly, is to prevent passes from being completed, to be certain an offense doesn’t take its roots downfield. In a game now predicated on the arms of quarterbacks and their ability to play pitch-and-catch with their pass targets, cornerbacks have, by far, the most delicate playing balance to be mindful of. Per the NFL’s transaction wire, it was the result of a positive test.A cornerback in football is tasked with some of the more unique responsibilities. Now he’s joined them after reverting back to the practice squad. Ballentine was one of the seven players elevated from the practice squad to help fill in for the Lions who were out with COVID-19. Practice squad moveĬB Corey Ballentine went from playing 14 reps on special teams for the Lions on Sunday to the practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday. Jacobs tore the ACL in his knee early in Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos. Tennessee waived him on Saturday and the Lions claimed him by virtue of having the top spot on the waiver wire.ĭetroit had an opening after placing rookie CB Jerry Jacobs on injured reserve. He had only played on special teams in five games for the AFC South-leading Titans. Detroit claimed former Tennessee Titan S Brady Breeze.īreeze was a sixth-round selection, the 215th pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of Oregon.

The Detroit Lions added a rookie safety to the team on Monday.
