NFL Draft 2018: Why Shaquem Griffin should be drafted in early rounds

Game Film Doesn’t Lie

The 6-1 and near 230 pounds, Griffin burst onto the scene when he moved from defensive back to linebacker in 2016. Under head coach Scott Frost and defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, Griffin proved that whatever others might have seen as a hindrance simply wasn’t. That season, he lived in the backfield as a chase down backer. He finished the year with 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss and led his team in tackles with 92. Those numbers were good enough to warrant him AAC First Team honors.

His second season under the coaching tandem wasn’t as statistically lucrative, but he did ball out nonetheless. In 2017, Griffin finished with seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. The drop in numbers had a lot to do with him receiving extra attention after junior season performance. Even with the decline in numbers, Griffin looked explosive when asked to rush or drop in coverage.

For example, in Week 10, he recorded a sack, forced fumble, pass defection and returned an interception for 22 yards. His play continued to impress at the Peach Bowl where he got 1.5 sacks against Auburn to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss and Defensive Player of the Game to end his excellent colligate career.

Accolades, film, and perseverance was enough to get him invited to the Senior Bowl. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to warrant any real consideration for a spot inside the top five outside linebacker on anyone’s board.