By FRANK WARD
DailyPhiladelphian.com Editor

When the Eagles moved up to grab Michigan standout Brandon Graham in the first round of the NFL Draft in April, mayne experts declared him the early leader for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Of course, seeing him in game action before anointing him the best of the class would be nice.

Consider that done. With three preseason games in the books and a starting spot earned, more people are now giving Graham his due. The New York Post’s Bart Hubbach included Graham in his “4-Down Territory” blog.

Eagles rookie defensive end Brandon Graham is being mentioned as a Rookie of the Year candidate.

Hubbach writes, “Aside from a flurry of injuries early in camp, the Eagles have been flying under the radar. And while almost all of the focus has been on Donovan McNabb ’s departure and the quarterback takeover by Kevin Kolb , scouts say Philadelphia landed a serious Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate in Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham . It took Graham all of two preseason games to win a starting job, and he had two tackles for a loss, a sack and a hurry two weeks ago against the Bengals. That prompted teammate Trent Cole to say “I see greatness” when asked about Graham, whose long arms, speed and mature-beyond-his-years rush skills made him the 13th overall pick. Graham probably won’t play much tomorrow night against the Jets in the preseason finale, but the Giants should consider themselves warned.“

Don’t look for Graham to play in the preseason finally against the Jets on Thursday. Now, the rookie needs to kick it up a notch and get ready for the Packers on Sept. 12. Now’s the time to live up to expectations, especially since the Eagles success on defense relies on the team’s ability to get to, and rattle, the opposing quarterback.