Seattle Seahawks rookie Shaquem Griffin is going to attract a lot of attention no matter what he does this preseason, but his quarterback is singling him out for praise.
Russell Wilson showered Griffin with praise after his preseason debut, calling him a “great” player and praising his ability to make plays despite his physical handicap.
Griffin allegedly fell to the fifth round of the draft after his 40 time was shown to be inaccurate. That looks like it might be Seattle’s gain, as his nine tackles were a team-high. Yes, it’s preseason, but Griffin looked like he has the potential to be an impact player.
Shaquem Griffin turned heads everywhere with a 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash, but it turns out that number was reportedly not quite accurate and his draft stock was adjusted accordingly.
Griffin’s original 4.38 time caught the attention of pretty much everyone at the NFL Combine, a time which quickly moved him into the top 100 of many draft boards. However, according to Frank Cooney of NFLDraftScout, the clock started a touch late on Griffin’s 40 run, and his time was closer to 4.58.
Griffin was readjusted down draft boards accordingly, with his time going from elite to merely solid.
None of this stopped Griffin from becoming a fifth-round pick for the Seattle Seahawks, sparking emotional scenes. It’s too bad the 40 time wasn’t quite accurate, but it doesn’t do much to dampen a great story.
Shaquem Griffin has been one of the best stories of the NFL Draft, and it managed to get even better on Saturday.
Griffin lost his left hand at the age of four due to a medical condition, but that didn’t stop him from becoming the AAC Defensive Player of the Year and one of the breakout stars of the NFL Combine after initially not even receiving an invite. He was widely expected to be selected on day three, but the icing on the cake was the fact that he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks, meaning he’d be teammates with twin brother Shaquill.
The scene at the Griffin household was simply awesome.
This was just an awesome moment. Griffin is an easy guy to root for, and this adds another layer to a great story.
The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis has concluded, leaving teams with a much better idea about draft prospects. Some players excelled in drills and interviews, while others had more mixed results. There was a lot to be learned from this year’s crop of players. Here are ten big developments from the Combine.
1) Saquon Barkley set himself apart
It looks as if there is now a very real chance that Barkley could become the first running back to go first overall since Ki-Jana Carter, another Penn State back, in 1995. Barkley dominated his Combine workout with a 4.40 40-yard dash and a 41-inch vertical, and now looks like a very real option for the Browns at No. 1. He was already the top running back in the class and viewed as a potential top pick, but we’ve gone from talking about top three to top overall.
2) Shaquem Griffin showed why he should be taken seriously
Yes, it’s worth pumping the brakes on Shaquem Griffin. Even now the UCF linebacker still likely a day three prospect. He won’t go in the first round, or the second, and probably not even the third. Still, he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash, put up 20 reps at the bench press, and oh, by the way, did it all with one hand. He’s a great, great story, and teams looking for a potential diamond in the rough during the mid-to-late rounds of the draft would do well to look his way.
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Shaquem Griffin has been turning heads at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and he had another great moment on Sunday when he posted the fastest 40-yard dash time for any linebacker since 2003. In fact, it was so fast that it inspired Ryan Shazier.
Griffin, a former UCF star, showed scouts some blazing speed:
Shazier, who also ran a sub-4.40 40-yard dash at the combine back in 2014, was just as impressed as the rest of us. He joked that he’s going to need to speed up his recovery from a spinal injury just so he can regain the title of being the fastest linebacker in the NFL.
Griffin also put up 20 reps in the bench press on Saturday, which is remarkable considering he had his left hand amputated when he was 4 years old.
As we know, Shazier is still a long way from playing football again. You have to give him credit for having a sense of humor despite that.
UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin was one of the most productive players on the only undefeated team in college football this past season, which is why it was so surprising to hear that he had not been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine as of earlier in the month. Roughly four weeks later, that has changed.
On Tuesday, Griffin shared a video on Instagram revealing that he has received an invite to the combine.
Griffin recorded 74 total tackles this season and was credited with 13.5 tackles for loss. He also had seven sacks, including 1.5 in the Peach Bowl against Auburn and two in an exciting win over Memphis in the final game of the regular season. Griffin’s numbers in 2016 were even better, as he racked up 92 total tackles and 11.5 sacks.
The most remarkable thing about Griffin’s success at the collegiate level has been that he has only one hand, as his left hand was amputated when he was four years old. We know UCF has felt it was disrespected all year long and has gone to great lengths to overcome that, and it’s nice to see Griffin getting the credit he deserves with the combine invite.
One of the more dominant defensive players in college football wants to know what else he has to do to receive an invite to the NFL Combine.
The profile of Central Florida’s football program has grown exponentially this season, which was capped off by a victory over Auburn in the Peach Bowl. The Golden Knights finished the season a perfect 13-0. A big part of the team’s success was linebacker Shaquem Griffin.
Griffin was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and registered 62 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks this season as a senior. However, Griffin has yet to receive an invite to this year’s NFL Combine, leading to him wondering on social media what else he has to show.
Griffin has been able to play at an extremely high level despite having his left hand amputated when he was four years old. While that may be playing a role in opinions of him at the next level, it’s hard to diminish what Griffin has accomplished to this point. Check out what he did against Auburn.
UCF largely felt disrespected by the College Football Playoff committee this season, so it’s hardly surprising one of their best players has been overlooked. Griffin has received lots of support in his quest to achieve his NFL dream and deserves every bit of it.
