Seattle Seahawks 2015 Profiles: Jimmy Graham

By Paul Frances | Aug 5, 2015

With training camp in full swing, I will be providing the player profiles for the top five players on the Seattle Seahawks’ current roster. Today’s featured player at #5 on the list is new starting tight end Jimmy Graham.

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No. 88

Full Name: Jimmy Graham

Birthdate: November 24, 1986 (Age 28)

Place of Birth: Goldsboro, North Carolina

Height: 6ft 7in (2.01 m)

Weight: 270 Lbs

Professional Career Highlights:

3x Pro Bowler (2011,2013,2014)

First-team All-Pro (2013)

Second-team All-Pro (2011)

Ed Block Courage Award Winner (2011)

Ranked in the NFL’s top 100 Players (2012, 2014, 2015)

NFL Career Statistics (As of week 17, 2014)

Receptions: 386

Receiving Yards: 4,752

Receiving touchdowns: 51

How did Jimmy Graham become a Seahawk?

Graham attended the University of Miami and played basketball for the Miami Hurricanes basketball team from 2005-2009. After graduating in 2009 Graham decided to stay at Miami to take some graduate classes and play football. In his only season playing football Graham recorded 17 receptions for 213 yards and scored five touchdowns.

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Graham was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. In his rookie season he started in only five games and mostly played behind veteran tight end Jeremy Shockey.

In 2011, his first season as a starter Graham set several Saints and NFL records. He racked up 1,310 receiving yards on 99 receptions and scored 11 touchdowns. Over the next three seasons Graham became Drew Brees’s number one target and one of the league’s best receiving tight ends.

In March 2015, Graham along with a fourth round draft pick were traded to the Seahawks for center Max Unger and the Seahawks’ first round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

2014 Stats

In 16 regular season starts Graham totalled 85 receptions, 889 receiving yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Graham helped the Saints rank first in overall offense and third in passing offense. Graham ranked second in receptions, fifth in receiving yards and fourth in touchdowns scored amongst the league’s tight ends.

Overall

Graham is considered to one of the NFL’s best tight ends. His height, size and agility makes him a uncoverable red-zone target and he has great speed to get open anywhere on the field. Graham is a match-up nightmare for defensive coordinator’s to scheme against, who do you cover him with? Most cornerbacks are too small and most linebackers are too slow.

He will attract a lot of attention on the field which will open the game up for other receivers and in the run game. He instantly improves the Seahawks’ pass game, look for him to become Russell Wilson’s go-to-guy in 2015.

Graham is an amazing signing by the Seahawks and will he play a huge role in the Seahawks’ offense in 2015. I believe he will lead the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns in 2015. He will have close to 1,000 yards receiving with double-digit touchdowns.

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