Kayvon Thibodeaux Might be a Pipedream, but Oregon DE on Eagles' Radar

A noted chess player, he is scheduled to visit Philadelphia and would be a star pupil for Brandon Graham to tutor

It was near the end of the Eagles’ regular season when Brandon Graham started to show himself here and there outside the offices at the team’s NovaCare complex.

As usual, Graham was always in a good mood and more than willing to talk with reporters.

One day, he was asked if he thought he would be back next season.

“Oh yeah, I will,” he said, then added, “but you never know, if they draft that kid from Oregon, whew, who knows?”

At the time, it seemed like an impossible if. That kid, Kayvon Thibodeaux, was believed to be the first pick in the draft. He was that good.

He still might be. If not then, maybe the second overall pick.

Some inconsistent tape, criticisms of a motor that doesn’t run hot all the time, and a propensity for taking plays off on occasion, have led to many teams rethinking their stance on the 6-4, 254-pound edge rusher who grew up in South Central Los Angeles before attending Oregon.

Rubbish, Thibodeaux said at the NFL Scouting Combine last month.

“I feel like everyone has a job,” he said. “For me, I feel like, when you have a smart kid like me, you have a lot of positives, someone has to find the negatives. I don’t really look too much into it. I know what I can do for a team.

“And when we’re breaking down film, I’m able to talk about the ins and outs of the game. I’m not really too worried about what people have to say as far as that, as long as the teams and I can come to an understanding of who I am and how hard [I play], and the love I have for the game.”

Maybe what’s being said will cause him to slip a bit, maybe even into a sweet spot where the Eagles would feel comfortable moving up for a player who has been compared to Brian Orakpo, who had three double-digit sack seasons in a 10-year career that saw him finish with 66 QB takedowns.

It’s a pipedream, but the Eagles thought enough of the possibility, and the skillset Thibodeaux could bring, to invite him to town for one of their pre-draft visits.

Meanwhile, Graham will return for his 13th season.

That makes him the most tenured athlete of all four professional sports in Philadelphia, rising to that distinction after the Flyers traded Claude Giroux.

Having just turned 34 on April 3, the clock is certainly ticking on a career that will end with Graham in the Eagles’ Hall of Fame.

What a resource he would be for Thibodeaux, or whatever edge rusher the Eagles choose to draft.

Thibodeaux has already expressed surprise that isn’t considered the best player in the draft anymore, calling it “outrageous.”

"The most ridiculous thing I've heard is that I'm not the best player in this draft," Thibodeaux told reporters following his pro day last week in Eugene, which was attended by all 32 teams.

"I really don't listen to anything else, but that to me, that's outrageous. With the film, with the numbers and what I can do, as far as my ability, I have confidence in what I can do."

An interesting note about Thibodeaux is his love for chess.

“I’m not the biggest guy, I’m not the strongest guy and I’m not the fastest guy, so when you realize that, just like Von Miller, you have to figure out what’s gonna give you that edge and for me, my mind is what gives me that edge,” said. “I’m a chess player, so I’m thinking moves ahead (like) how can I set the game and dictate what the offensive tackle does so I can get what I want out of the situation.

“Chess is life and chess is football. You talk about your first move, and your first move is gonna set up your second move, and then you’ve got to think about your third move ahead. Pass rush, I’m gonna hit you with speed, I’m always gonna hit you with speed.

“And that’s gonna set up my power moves, and then my power moves are gonna set up my counter. It’s a heavyweight match, like a boxer. You’ve been hitting him with a jab, jab, you want to come with a hook, change it up. Just having that longevity and realizing that, when the fourth quarter comes, you’ve gotta put it all together.”

Maybe, if the Eagles find a way to turn their pre-draft visit into drafting him, Thibodeaux can teach Graham chess while Graham teaches him how to be successful in the NFL.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.