With video: Michigan's Brandon Graham ready to shine at NFL combine

But for the freakish Graham, who a month ago said he wanted to top former Michigan teammate Terrence Taylor’s combine-best (for defensive linemen) 37 reps last year, a low-30s bench would go a long way toward locking up a top-half-of-the-first-round grade.

Graham has been rising steadily up mock draft boards since his eye-opening (to those who missed his regular season, at least) performance at the Senior Bowl last month. This weekend’s combine serves as another referendum on his readiness for the NFL.

“I lived all my life for this one moment,” Graham said. “I think about it all the time and I’ve seen people either kill themselves or help themselves. You don’t want to be in that category of really hurting yourself.”

The nation’s leader with 26 tackles for loss last year, Graham is enough of a known commodity that his stock doesn't hinge on Monday's workout.

Still, a few spots means a few dollars - last year, the difference in guaranteed money between pick No. 12 (where Graham is projected to go by the National Football Post) and 22 (Sports Illustrated) was nearly $5 million - and the better Graham tests the higher he’ll likely get drafted.

“This means right here if I’m going to crack top 10 or not,” Graham said.

To prepare for the combine, Graham spent three hours a day, five days a week working with Michigan’s weight-training staff, almost from the day the Wolverines’ season ended.

He changed his diet, forgoing sugary cereal in the morning for fresh fruit, and he learned the nuances of sprinting and weight-lifting technique from strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis, who Graham swears by after dropping nearly 50 pounds under his direction the last two years.

“He’s very driven, he’s very focused, he comes in and he grinds,” Barwis said. “He’s been really, really focused on what he needs to do to make sure he succeeds at the next level now. He’s mentally definitely moved on from college.”

• Slideshow from Graham's workouts

Graham’s weight-room workouts are fast-paced and comprehensive. In one January session, he bounced from hang cleans to bench presses to five different types of rows, finishing with curls, resistance exercises and plyometrics with little rest in between.

But his focus since winning MVP of the Senior Bowl has been improving his 40-yard dash. Last spring, Graham ran a 4.65-second 40 during team testing - the best by a defensive lineman in the Rich Rodriguez era - and more recently he’s been clocked in the 4.57- to 4.62-second range.

Graham said he’d be happy with a 40 in the 4.6s at the combine, but “I’m saying I’m going to crack that 4.5. Either the first (try) or the second one, or both of them. I just believe that right now I got that technique down.”

Most of Graham’s speed training has focused on perfecting technique, beginning with finding a comfortably awkward stance that allows him to explode out of the blocks.

“He’s going to be fast either way, it’s just a matter of how fast,” Barwis said. “The 40 with anybody, there’s so many technical things that you’ve got to have a perfect start, you got to have a good transition phase. You just got to have everything right.”

Just two defensive linemen, both hybrid defensive end-linebackers, ran under a 4.7 at the combine last year. Aaron Curry, the No. 4 overall pick, ran a 4.56 to lead all linebackers.

If Graham runs in that range, he’ll answer many of the questions teams have about whether he can play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

“In his mindset, he needs to run 4.6, 4.5,” Barwis said. “That’s an incredible time for a defensive lineman, and an excellent time, outstanding time, for a linebacker. And he’s capable of doing that.”

The nation’s No. 2 inside-linebacker recruit coming out of high school, Graham played defensive end at Michigan but will do linebacker position drills at the combine, something he added to his training regimen earlier this month.

He also posted impressive workout times in the short shuttle and three-cone drills, events that speak to his ability to change direction and, perhaps, play linebacker in the NFL.

Graham said he doesn’t care what position he plays, but acknowledged his versatility should make him a more valuable commodity come draft day.

“A lot of people from what I’ve seen every year, a lot of people that had high expectations don’t test well,” Graham said. “I’m trying to be that one that does everything well. I’m not going to say I’m going to be perfect, but any doubt they have, I’m going to try to answer it.”

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.