APP ONLY: Graham vs. Parker
Here's how Brandon Graham and Juqua Parker compare so far this season.
By Sheil Kapadia
Philly.com
Juqua Parker missed a couple days of practice this week, but is still expected to start Sunday night against the Giants.
Parker has been starting over Brandon Graham since Week 5, but the playing time has been split fairly evenly.
By my count, Graham has played just over 54 percent of the snaps on the season, and Parker just over 50 percent.
They've been used pretty similarly also. Graham occasionally plays inside, and Parker has been used in that way at times too. Graham has dropped back into coverage 19 times; Parker 15.
In terms of production, Parker is second on the team behind Trent Cole with five sacks. Graham has two. Parker has 18 tackles; Graham 13. And both players have 11 QB hurries, according to the Eagles' stats.
As I've explained in the past, it's very rare for a rookie defensive lineman to put up big sack totals right away. In the past five years, defensive linemen taken in the first round have averaged 2.69 sacks in their first seasons. Defensive ends have averaged 3.89 sacks.
Expectations for Graham were high entering this season after his performance on the practice fields at Lehigh. And the truth is, he's been OK. But if Graham can elevate his play in the final seven weeks, he can give the defense one more player that opponents have to account for and be a difference-maker for Sean McDermott.