It has become a pretty tired cliché in the city of Philadelphia to lament the decision by then Eagles head coach Andy Reid and still general manager Howie Roseman to select former University of Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham in the first round of the 2010 draft after moving up several spots to 13th overall, instead of making surefire future Hall-of-Fame safety and former University of Texas standout, Earl Thomas, the choice.
As it turns out, on that fateful day in April 2010, Thomas, watching the draft with keen intent and waiting with baited breath to hear his name called, thought the very same thing that NFL draft pundits and nearly every Eagles fan across the Lehigh Valley did when the team traded up in the first round - Earl Thomas is the guy.
"They said Earl Thomas right here, and I'm like: 'OK, the Eagles, Philadelphia,'" Thomas said, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "And then they said, 'Brandon Graham.' And then I got this call from Seattle."
The Eagles instead selected Graham, who had a stellar opening to his rookie season before injuring his knee and undergoing micro fracture surgery. It has been a struggle for him to return to form, but this season has been one of his best in the league, Tommy Lawlor of Bleeding Green Nation (and also Igglesblitz) reported.
Thomas, of course, went one pick later to the Seattle Seahawks, the team with which he won a Super Bowl just last season. He has, in four-plus years in the league, turned himself into a three-time All-Pro and was recently referred to by Eagles coach Chip Kelly as the best safety in the NFL.
Thomas, whose Seahawks face off against Kelly's Eagles this weekend in a battle that will showcase two of the best teams in the NFC, says that he still hears about that fateful draft day decision from Philly fans.
"A lot of people from Philly are like, 'Oh, my God! Every time we see him, he could be in our uniform,' or if they see me in the Pro Bowl or something, they say he's a Pro Bowler," Thomas said.
Graham, showing continual improvement and increased comfort as an outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Bill Davis' 3-4, seems to be incrementally proving worthy of his draft stature. But that doesn't stop Philadelphia fans from salivating at the thought of Thomas patrolling the back end of their defense.
