The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1265378
THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 151 3. DE BRANDON GRAHAM, Philadelphia Eagles His 8.5 sacks led the Eagles in 2019, while his 50 tackles checked in fifth. Graham's best performance of the year came in a 31-6 win over the New York Jets Oct. 6, when he set a career high with three sacks. Even at age 32, Pro Football Focus placed the defensive end at No. 49 on their list of the game's 50 best players heading into the 2020 season. "Brandon Graham has been one of the best edge rushers of the entire decade, but at 32, we may have seen the last of his best years," the outlet explained. "Last season, his overall PFF grade slipped below 85.0 for the first time since 2015, and he posted the lowest pass-rushing grade of his career since he became a full-time starter. Sixty-seven total pressures are still an impressive number, but the decisive wins weren't there as often as they had been in previous seasons. "Even a declining Brandon Graham is still a problem for an offense, however, and that's how he makes this list." 4. LB DEVIN BUSH JR., Pittsburgh Steelers He led all NFL rookies and the Steelers' entire team in tackles, compiling 109 stops in 2019. That total tied for 30th in the NFL. Bush also chipped in a sack, four passes defended, two picks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery he ran back nine yards for a touchdown. The rookie linebacker was a consistent menace, accumulating at least five stops in 12 of the club's 16 games. He also logged 10 or more tackles on three different occasions, and was voted to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team at season's end. "He became the first rookie in team history to record 100 or more tackles," Matthew Marczi of SteelersDe- pot.com noted. "While he led the AFC Pro Bowl fan voting for inside linebackers, he ultimately did not make it. His time will come, though. "He showed a lot of who he is going to be in the future, but nobody should have expected a finished product right out of the gate. His athleticism was evident, but he still has more to learn, both pre-snap and especially in zone coverage, but that will come as it did for [former standout Pittsburgh linebacker] Ryan Shazier." 5. OT TAYLOR LEWAN, Tennessee Titans He tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended for the first four games of the 2019 sea- son, but returned to start the final 12 regular-season contests at left tackle and the club's three playoff showdowns. Lewan has now started 64 of the 69 career regular-season games he has appeared in with Tennessee, with each of his five non-starting assign- ments occurring as a rookie in 2015. Pro Football Focus tabbed Lewan as the game's third- best pass-blocking offensive tackle at season's end, behind the Baltimore Ravens' Ronnie Stanley and the Kansas City Chiefs' Mitchell Schwartz. "Halfway through the [2019] campaign Lewan began to round into form," Mike Moraitis of TitansWire.com explained. "Some of that had to do with not having experience playing next to left guard Rodger Saffold, as the pair admitted it took some time to get acclimated to one another in their first season together. "Ultimately, Lewan showed why he's one of the best left tackles in the sport with a strong finish to his sixth season in the NFL. To push that point further along, Pro Football Focus notes that Lewan is one of only two tackles to produce a top-10 grade in pass protection and run blocking since 2016, with the other being Trent Williams [of the Washington Redskins]. "While Lewan's play on the field has defined him during his career, the left tackle is looking to take on a bigger leadership role in 2020, as he noted during a Zoom call with the media [in early June]." ❏ Former Wolverines With New Teams In 2020 Player 2019 Team 2020 Team QB Tom Brady New England Patriots Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT Juwann Bushell-Beatty Houston Roughnecks (XFL) Carolina Panthers DE Taco Charlton Dallas Cowboys/Miami Dolphins Kansas City Chiefs WR Jehu Chesson Washington Redskins New York Jets WR Devin Funchess Carolina Panthers Green Bay Packers OL Graham Glasgow Detroit Lions Denver Broncos DE Willie Henry Free Agent San Francisco 49ers S Tyree Kinnel D.C. Defenders (XFL) Pittsburgh Steelers OG Michael Schofield Los Angeles Chargers Carolina Panthers DL Chris Wormley Baltimore Ravens Pittsburgh Steelers Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham finished just one sack shy of his career high of 9.5, set in 2017. PHOTO COURTESY PHILADELPHIA EAGLES