Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

The experts over at ProFootballFocus have not been kind to the New Orleans Saints this offseason as they reveal their Top 101 players in the NFL for the 2012 season.

As we have already detailed, quarterback Drew Brees was the only member of the Saints to make the list this year, coming in at No. 79.

Being Saints fans, you are probably already aware of one man who was seemingly left out—tight end Jimmy Graham.

Graham had a down year last season when compared to his 2011 campaign, but last year was not bad by any means. He caught 85 passes for 982 yards and nine touchdowns.

His nine scores tied him for the No. 2 highest total, and the 982 yards planted him at No. 2 in that category behind Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys. The 85 receptions landed him at No. 3 behind Witten and Tony Gonzalez of the Atlanta Falcons.

Of course, the guys over at PFF aren’t just looking at stats. They are grading every snap of every NFL player’s season as it happens and then compiling the list based on a multitude of things. Qualities such as blocking, route running and more are taken into account when looking at the tight end position.

Interestingly enough, five tight ends made PFF’s Top 101 above Graham. Here are the names:

39. Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers

42. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

44. Tony Gonzalez, TE, Atlanta Falcons

62. Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys

91. Dwayne Allen, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Overall, Graham was ranked as the No. 10 overall tight end in the NFL (subscription required). He had positive marks in every area, including pass and run blocking.

So what was the issue, you ask?

Graham dropped a league-leading 15 passes. Sure, he was targeted a ridiculous 131 times, which ranked him second in the league, but his habit of dropping passes is likely what shot him out of the Top 100 immediately.

Next season expect Graham to bounce back onto the list as long as he fixes his issues in terms of reeling the ball in consistently. Conventional wisdom says the Saints should be better overall thanks to the return of head coach Sean Payton, so Graham and perhaps a few others could join Brees on the list.

Saints

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

What's funny is neither one of them made top 100,but put 'em on free agency and watch owners consider selling their own kids just to get them on their team!

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

True dat!

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

Hopefully he will sign for less? ;)

http://i.imgur.com/ArmgWl.jpg

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

Can someone make sure grahm gets that mesage. He can surely use a kick in the pecans to get him back to 2011 not just stats but being mean jimmy g again.

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

Green jacket, gold jacket ...who gives a ****

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

Did all that with a wrist that required post-season surgery.

It's funny that the guy who may not even play this season due to a wrist injury/infection issue is rated higher. I wish Gronk the best but if he doesn't heal completely by the season's start or he breaks it again during the season I think he could be done for good.

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

This list lost all credibility when Brees' was excluded, but Graham too? Smh. Must have been written by Falcons' fans...

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

Graham doesn't belong on that list this year. The author of the article left off the stat that is the reason why.

Wasn't Graham #1 in drops?

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

If you watch the tape on JG, you will also see that too many times he got jumped by a DB. This rarely led to an interception but the pass was broken up.

Not only does he need to sort out the drop issues, he needs a bit more awareness and to use his body a bit better.

Let's however realise that I am criticising a player who I think has the potential to be the best in the league and one of the best of all time and is an almighty asset to the team. I'm also friends with his Mum :)

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

It has a lot to do with what the team did as a whole last year when you are not successful that is what you get.

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

Graham definitely doesn't belong on that list based on last season's performance. He's never been that great in the blocking game, which is understandable with him only having played a single year of football in college.

But his drops were the main reason why he was disappointing this past season. Graham had a catch rate of 63%, which was pretty bad, especially considering the fact that many of those drops were drive-killers that came at the worst possible moment. And for comparison, for those that say that Graham was targeted much more than the others which is why he exponentially dropped more passes than the rest of them: well Conzales was targeted only 11 times less than Graham, but managed to catch with a 75% catch rate. Hopefully, Graham will improve on this in the coming season (with the wrist surgically repaired), but it's not like it was a new aspect of his game.

Still, the most disappointing aspect of Graham's game to me is the fact that he has a very low YAC rate, which should be much higher with his physique and athleticism - he seems to go down far too easily.

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

Unrealized potential has no value. If he wants it, he has to actually do it.
We as Saints fans invest our dream capital all too often on shoulda, woulda, coulda, used to be's.

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

i don't really pay much attention to "top ten lists" that a yuppie writes.

pointless and meaningless...

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

Ingram wasn't on the list either. However, this year expect to see a lot more Saints on that list.

Re: Saints’ Jimmy Graham Not a Member of PFF’s Top 101
 

For the team he was subpar. For fantasy he was still a stud