Graham was a fifth round pick who has been a reliable rotational run stopper all this time, which is hardly Grady Jarrett but is very solid value for a fifth rounder in today’s NFL. But Graham returned to a suddenly deep defensive line rotation from an injury that cost him all but two games thus far and scuffled a little bit, and that’s all it took to get the axe when the Falcons needed to open a roster spot.
It’s a surprise because outside of a couple of bad stretches here and there over the years, Graham has always been a solid player. In 2022 and 2023 in particular, he was a consistent 15-20 snap per game player who regularly made an impact against the run, and he put together a 2022 where he actually was a useful pass rusher who delivered eight quarterback hits in limited opportunities. Those chances had dwindled in 2024 and he was injured in 2025, as mentioned, and the coaching staff had shifted multiple times from the group that brought Graham to Atlanta.