Shaquem Griffin has been proving people wrong for most of his life, and he did it again at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. Originally not even selected to attend the annual dog-and-pony show that takes place in Indianapolis, Griffin absolutely astounded with his feats of strength and speed at Lucas Oil Stadium.
First, Griffin — a kid who has only one hand — put up 225 pounds on the bench press an incredible 20 times on Saturday. Then on Sunday, he put up one of the fastest 40 times of any player at this year’s combine, and the fastest time by a linebacker since 2003 (watch here).
After watching Griffin dominate, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman made it clear on Twitter that “the system is broken” if the UCF linebacker isn’t drafted in the first three rounds this upcoming April.
If @Shaquemgriffin doesn’t get drafted in the first two days the system is broken. Productive and performed well at the combine. Played well against high level competition.
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) March 4, 2018
It’s really hard to argue with Sherman’s logic here. After all, Griffin was absolutely dominant during his past two seasons for the UCF Knights, racking up 166 tackles, 33.5 of them for a loss, 18.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and, astonishingly enough, two interceptions. He got stronger as games got longer, too, showing unbelievable endurance and an indomitable will to thrive under pressure.
Clearly, he belongs in the NFL.
For what it’s worth, at least one NFL evaluator believes Griffin will be drafted at the end of the third round or early in the fourth.
I asked one #NFL evaluator to ballpark it. He said late 3rd round or early 4th round for Shaquem Griffin, who will likely start out on special teams and in defensive sub packages. Keep in mind, it's one guy's opinion. And the process is ongoing. https://t.co/RxAtSTMVZ0
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 4, 2018
Because of his personality and will to persevere through difficulties, Griffin will be an excellent addition to an NFL locker room. And we have no doubt he’ll thrive at the professional level, too. Whether he is drafted in the first few rounds, however, remains to be seen.