Check out my blowout: day 15: draft day defense

Previously:  day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5, day 6, day 7, day 8, day 9, day 10, day 11, day 12, day 13, day 14

Today's penultimate CoMB post brings us six defensive players to celebrate the final day of the 2012 NFL draft, a day on which C David Molk was taken by the San Diego Chargers and WR Junior Hemingway was grabbed late by the KC Chiefs (plus, yesterday DT Mike Martin was picked up by the Tennessee Titans).  DB Troy Woolfolk (NOT WoolfoRk) signed with Dallas as a free agent, and DL Ryan Van Bergen did the same with the Panthers.  Michigan has a rich draft history, and this post features four former defensive standouts:

Alan Branch 2007 SP Rookie Threads Draft Day Ink auto: 

Appropriately enough we begin with a Draft Day auto of former Wolverines big man Alan Branch.  This is my 12th autograph (out of 12 cards!) of the defensive beast, and as always, I love posting cards of him because that means I get to post this picture:

Guns don't kill QBs, Alan Branch kills QBs.

In keeping with the draft day theme, I'll mention that he was a second-round pick by Arizona in 2007.

Brandon Graham 2010 Crown Royale Autographs Blue auto (#23/50):

If this Graham looks familiar, that's because it's the Blue parallel of this one that I picked up a while ago.  My collection of the insanely talented army-of-one-type star (seriously, he WAS our defense under RichRod) grows to 10 autographs, plus a plate.  He's had a rough go of it in the NFL due to injuries, but hopefully we'll see Graham, a first-round pick of the Eagles in 2010, blowing up plays for Philly's defense soon.

David Harris 2007 Absolute Memorabilia auto RC (#186/349)

 David Harris 2010 Topps Magic auto:

Harris, somehow a second-round pick for the Jets in 2007 (three of our four guys today were drafted that year), has taken his already impressive game to a whole other level in the NFL by becoming what can only be described as a tackling machine.  This is an excellent pair of autos of the guy--I love those Absolute auto RCs a ton, but the Magic signatures are tough to beat as well.  I now have 17 cards that include his autograph, and again, no relics, a ratio I'd love to maintain.

 Leon Hall 2007 SAGE HIT Autographs Silver auto

Leon Hall 2007 Upper Deck Rookie Ink auto:

Hall was a first-rounder to the Bengals the same year as Branch and Harris, and he's often played like he has that kind of talent.  He just signed a lucrative contract last year, but later had to be placed in IR, so we'll see what the future holds for him.  In the meantime, I now have 21 cards of Hall, and every one of THEM includes an autograph as well!  In fact, today, Graham is the only player for whom I had a non-autographed hit in the form of a printing plate, so that's pretty close to 100% today, not bad!
Of the two, my favorite is definitely the SAGE, not because I already have so many SAGE autographs of him, but, besides being in a Michigan uni, he's shown returning an interception, a fun shot of any DB.  If you didn't know he played corner, you might think he was a RB or WR streaking down the field like that.

I hope you enjoyed this second-to-last CoMB post, with the final one coming up in a day or two.  I hope your own favorite NFL or college team fared well in the draft--I can at least say I'm proud of the Wolverines that ended up on pro teams.  GO BLUE!