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Shaquem Griffin

Discussion in 'The Bill Nunn Draft Room' started by Blast Furnace, Apr 9, 2018.

  1. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    From his bio:
    Led the Knights with 57 solo tackles (had 92 total), 20 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks by chasing down plays with speed and wrapping his arms, while also intercepting a pass and breaking up seven others on the year. Griffin was again a first-team all-conference choice in 2017 (74 tackles, 13.5 for loss, team-high seven sacks, one interception, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles).

    I predict that kind of production and success will continue into the pros.
     
  2. TuRnDoWnForWaTT

    TuRnDoWnForWaTT Well-Known Member

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    Whomever drafts Shaq Griffin is getting a hell of a player. He knows how to play the game with one hand. He knows how to tackle with one hand. You don't not draft a great LB prospect because he might drop an interception or two. Hell, Ike Taylor had two hands and couldn't catch a cold.
     
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  3. TheMatrixHasYou

    TheMatrixHasYou Well-Known Member

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    Griffin has decent stats but no one would really be talking about him at all if he didn't run fast at the combine.

    ILB Nyles Morgan, 6' 1", 235 lbs, 4.70, 92 tackles, 7 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 PBU, from Notre Dame. He has decent size, good speed, very good stats, and will be lucky to get drafted. Can Nyles play in the NFL?
     
  4. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

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    I don't buy that about Griffin.

    He was a highly productive player on a rock solid team which was lead by their defense.

    I thought he was underrated before he ran lights out. Production. Athleticism. Passion. Winner. I'l take that in round 2 any day.
     
  5. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Except one is loaded with playmaking ability, athleticism and lightening fast and one is not. Also, one compiled his statistics with one hand and the other used two.

    Other than that, yeah that's a great point.
     
  6. TheMatrixHasYou

    TheMatrixHasYou Well-Known Member

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    You'll take ILB Griffin in round 2? So you have doubts about him then? Why not at #28? What ILB's do you have rated higher? Are they faster and do they have better stats than Griffin?
     
  7. TheMatrixHasYou

    TheMatrixHasYou Well-Known Member

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    So Nyles can't make plays in the NFL?

    And do you think having one hand is better than two?
     
  8. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    I doubt Nyles has much of a future other than coming off the bench and special teams.

    Second question is silly.
     
  9. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    Wow Mac.....your obsession with hating on Evans really needs to be looked at ,it's not healthy. If you were the same age I may accuse him of stealing your lunch money in school or something....you left out that anyone who you choose to put over Evans the same has to be said of Carter......just sayin.
     
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  10. steelersrock151

    steelersrock151 Well-Known Member

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    Um, isn't this your arguement?
     
  11. TuRnDoWnForWaTT

    TuRnDoWnForWaTT Well-Known Member

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    No. It's not. Clearly it's not. 5 picks against Jax and people on the sports shows and social media were clamoring for Josh Dobbs. Imagine if we take Rudolph and Ben has a bad game. The Steelers don't need any more turmoil. They have enough of that already. I'm not suggesting we protect Ben's “feelings". I'm suggesting we don't add another PR problem to our already healthy mix of BS.
     
  12. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

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    I just don't like him as much as Edmunds, Roquan, Evans, LVE. I do like him equally or even more than Malik Jefferson.

    Reasons I like those guys more are a mixture of Size, athleticism, and big game experience.

    I'm not gonna pretend like only having 1 hand isn't a hindrance. But I thought he showed at the combine he can still catch the ball. He has career INTs. He's made alot of tackles.

    Why don't I take him at #28? I can't condone taking the 5th best ILB when there will be BPA.
     
  13. Boomer

    Boomer Well-Known Member

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    Awesome story but I just can’t see overcoming the missing hand at the NFL level.
     
  14. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    Are we really doubting someone who has played without a hand all their life? Seems very unusual to me. :hmm:



    If this happened to him just before his final collegiate season then the concerns would be warranted. However, since that incident happened at a very young age, my doubt is his ability to overcome those limitations.




    Anyone who drafts him is not just getting a mere feel good story. They are getting a rock solid football player.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  15. TheMatrixHasYou

    TheMatrixHasYou Well-Known Member

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    He can make tackles but not every tackle. He can make interceptions but not every interception.

    What if Shazier could only tackle players in front of him and to his right side?
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  16. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Who does? I dont see anyone making a case that he is the best football player coming out of college, only that he will be good to very good in the NFL.

    Hes also good at getting to the QB. With his speed and athleticism, they can use him in a number of ways.
     
  17. TheMatrixHasYou

    TheMatrixHasYou Well-Known Member

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    Griffin can only make a tackle when he can wrap up with both arms or when he can grab the guy with his right hand. So, only when the guy is in front of him or on his right side.

    If a player goes by his left side Griffin can try to hook him with his left arm and then bring his right hand/arm over but if the guy is ahead by one step then Griffin won't be able to do that.

    You guys are acting like it means nothing. We're not talking about nose hairs. It's a hand! It's absolutely going to affect his ability to make certain plays.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  18. steelersrock151

    steelersrock151 Well-Known Member

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    Yep, it will. And his speed, size, and physicality will allow him to make plays that other third/fourth/fifth rounders can't. If he's covering Gronk, I don't really care that he makes that difficult interception, as long as he keeps him from getting the damn ball.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  19. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    He has pretty good stats for a guy that supposedly has as much trouble tackling as you imply.

    It would be nice if players wrapped up but how many do? Lot of hits I see are lowering the shoulder and knocking the player down.

    Youre acting like he is a WR with one hand.

    His past success clearly proves you wrong.
     
  20. TheMatrixHasYou

    TheMatrixHasYou Well-Known Member

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    So his hand hurts his ability to make some plays but his speed makes up for it, except on his left side. How is any of that exceptional? That's a negative and a positive, not a positive and another positive like the top performers.

    Shazier has speed and two hands.

    Griffin has speed and...
     
  21. TheMatrixHasYou

    TheMatrixHasYou Well-Known Member

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    Griffin's stats are fine. Many years there are college ILB's with over 100 tackles who still don't get drafted.

    Players lower the shoulder and hit? Yeah, if they have the angle. With Griffin's speed he should be a pretty decent guy to have behind your line if an RB comes through a hole but if the RB is going around the right side and Griffin has to give chase, then it's a problem. If Griffin has to cover, no left hand could be a problem.

    I'm acting like he is a WR with one hand? When he is running with a TE and he turns to see the ball and tries to reach out and deflect it but he can't because his left arm is shorter than normal, he will be just like a WR with one hand.

    Griffin's past success clearly proves me wrong? Oh, so college success guarantee's NFL success? You didn't actually say that, did you? You might want to go back and change that really quick before everyone copies that and uses that as a sarcastic signature.
     
  22. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

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    Somebody doesn't remember Jon Jansen playing with casts covering both his hands. He played and he played well.

    I get it, you are a skeptic of Griffin. I am more optimistic. Time will tell.
     
  23. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    A hand he has not had for much of life.


    Again, had this happened later in his football life, such as at UCF in his freshman season, I would be very worried. However, since we already know the backstory to that, any and all fears I would have about him are put to rest.



    This now leads me towards two questions I pose to you considering the issues you seem to have with Griffin. They are as follows:


    1.) If Griffin been as limited as you claim him to be, why was he named a defensive player of the year in a college conference?


    2.) Even ignoring his stats, why are teams now intriguied by his skillset and not soley focusing on something he has combated his entire football life?
     
  24. steelcityclash

    steelcityclash Well-Known Member

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    Griffin can only make a tackle when he can wrap up with both arms

    Actually I think that works well n his favor. His whole life he’s had to focus on making sure tackles by wrapping up. His tackling fundamentals are on point to compensate for his physical shortcomings. I wish some of the Steelers would use both arms as opposed to trying to lay the wood and whiffing (Mitchell and Davis) or trying to tackle with one hand.

    From what I’ve seen he also takes good angles that sets himself up for tackling efficiently. That will be key to his success.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  25. TheMatrixHasYou

    TheMatrixHasYou Well-Known Member

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    Just because he's always had the missing hand does not mean it doesn't have any affect on him. He's learned to play without it but it's still a limit to his abilities.

    He will never be able to grab with his left hand to make a tackle. He will also never be able to deflect a pass with his left hand because he doesn't have one.

    There is no amount of learning that is going to change that.

    If Griffin was so limited then why was Griffin named defensive player of the year? That and $3.79 will get you a McCoffee. In other words, it means nothing. No team is going to draft him because of some college award.

    Why are teams now intrigued by his skillset? He ran a 4.38, that's why and that's the only reason why. He's also undersized but still he will get drafted and he will play but sometimes he is going to have problems making plays to his left side so teams will probably play him on the right side. He is also going to have some problems covering guys and deflecting passes and making interceptions. Will he still make some interceptions? Sure, but the difference between the best and second best is a hand.

    Can he still play? Of course, but so can Vince Williams and Matakevich and hundreds of other college ILB's. Every player has some good things and some bad things. I think Griffin's bad thing is going to be a problem in the NFL but I would take him in the 5th round if he's there and see what he can do.
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2018

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