Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Brandon Graham on Fringe of Top 10

The veteran DE is on the outside looking in at the top 10, mostly because he is coming off a torn Achilles in 2021

Somebody had to be just on the fringe of the top 10.

In this case, it’s Brandon Graham.

The veteran defensive end comes in at No. 11 in our countdown of the top 25 current best Eagles.

Had he not missed last year after tearing his Achilles’ in Week 2, he may not be on the outside looking in at the top 10. He was coming off his first Pro Bowl season in 2020, a season in which he posted 8 sacks.

Here’s how the countdown works: the list started with Eagles Today site publisher Ed Kracz and staff writer John McMullen putting together their top 25 lists independent of each other’s and then assigning point values, with 25 points awarded to the player ranked first on each list, 24 to the player ranked second, and so on, with one point going to the player that was put 25th.

The highest ranking from either reporter broke any ties in the balloting.

Here are the players ranked from No. 11 through No. 15:

No. 15 - OL Landon Dickerson

The second-round pick from Alabama in 2021 started 13 games as a rookie

No. 14 - CB Avonte Maddox

Ed Kracz/SI.com Eagle Maven

Signed a three-yar contract extension on Nov. 20, 2021, after a stellar season playing in the slot

No. 13 - QB Jalen Hurts

Ed Kracz/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today

He accounted for 26 touchdowns in 2021, with 10 coming on the ground

No. 12 - DT Javon Hargrave

USA Today Sports Media Images

He made it his first Pro Bowl in 2021 and is entering the final year of a three-year, free-agent contract

No. 11 - DE Brandon Graham

John McMullen/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today

The veteran will enter his 13th season with hopes of playing 15 in the NFL

Our top 10 will be revealed over the next 10 days.

In it are four players over the age of 30, like Graham.

There are also a pair of newcomers to the Eagles, arriving in the offseason.

There’s a good chance you know the players, but in which order they will be ranked will require checking back over the next 10 days.

The countdown is a little exercise to help Eagles fans and fans of the NFL, in general, get through the dead period until July 26, when the Eagles begin reporting to training camp.

As for Graham, he has had a most interesting career, working his way into becoming one of the fan base’s most endearing players after a sluggish start that had many believing he was a first-round bust.

He has yet to have a double-digit sack season, but his sack of Tom Brady in the final two-plus minutes of Super Bowl LII helped deliver the city’s first Lombardi Trophy.

Despite not posting at least 10 sacks in a season, Graham has collected 59 of them, putting him behind only Reggie White (124), Trent Cole (88.5), and Clyde Simmons (76) in the history of the franchise.

He will be entering his 13th season with the hope that he can play 15 NFL seasons, even if it means going to another organization. His 161-career regular-season games are the most in team history for a defensive lineman.

If he has a solid bounce-back season, Graham could very well be back in the top 10 next offseason.

THE COUNTDOWN SO FAR

No. 25 – Jack Driscoll

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No. 24 – Derek Barnett

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Derek Barnett Sneaks in at No. 24

No. 23 – Kyzir White

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No. 22 - Quez Watkins

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No. 21 – Jake Elliott

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Kicker Jake Elliott Gets Some Love

No. 20 – Isaac Seumalo

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Isaac Seumalo's back to claim ...

No. 19 – James Bradberry

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: James Bradberry, a Gift from the Giants

No. 18 - Jordan Davis

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Jordan Davis Checks in at No. 18

No. 17 - T.J. Edwards

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Don't Overlook TJ Edwards

No. 16 - Miles Sanders

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Miles Sanders Runs His Way to ...

No. 15 - Landon Dickerson

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Healthy Season Lands Landon Dickerson at No. 15

No. 14 - Avonte Maddox

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Avonte Maddox has No. 14 ...

No. 13 - Jalen Hurts

Ranking the 25 Best Eagles: Jalen Hurts too High, too Low?

No. 12 - Javon Hargrave

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.