INDIANAPOLIS (UCFKnights.com) – Shaquill Griffin likely raised his value among National Football League scouts and coaches Monday at the annual NFL Scouting Combine.
Griffin opened his day at Lucas Oil Stadium running the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.38 seconds. That 40 time immediately prompted a bit of social media buzz for Griffin. He ended up posting the fourth-best time of any of the 50 defensive backs who ran the 40 in Indianapolis Monday.
SPEEEEEEEEED!
— NFL (@NFL) March 6, 2017
Shaquill Griffin (DB - @UCF_Football) runs a 4.39u 40-yard dash! #NFLCombine https://t.co/ma0LffS7Po
But his head-turning results didn't stop there, as he continued to show his explosiveness. The official NFL Combine web site listed Griffin as a "Top Performer" in both the broad jump and vertical jump, as well as the 40-yard dash.
In the broad jump, Griffin jumped 132 inches to rank tied for second among all defensive backs at this year's Combine. He was third in the vertical leap, reaching 38.5 inches.
Griffin also took part in a bench press test, and ran the three-cone drill, the 20-yard shuttle and the 60-yard shuttle. He bench-pressed 225 pounds a total of 17 times, which ranked tied for No. 13 among those testing Monday. Griffin turned in times of 6.87 seconds in the three-cone drill, 4.14 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle and 11.62 seconds in the 60-yard shuttle.
"Being invited to the NFL Combine was more than just a dream come true," Griffin said Tuesday. "It was also a life-time experience. I'm extremely blessed to have been a part of something so great and meet so many people I look up to. I believe my preparation and training paid off. By trusting the process, I was able to compete at a high level and perform my best. I feel that I left Indy on a great note and hope to see many faces at UCF Pro Day."
The following are excerpts from media coverage of Griffin's performance at the Combine:
- The big names from the big schools will still get long looks, but teams will surely spend more time thinking about Griffin after his Combine showing.
– Zach Bigalke – FanSided/FoxSports.com
- Griffin knew the Saints and many teams had one lingering question heading into Monday's workouts.
"So far, I'm getting a lot of attention from teams because of my size and my length, my bench press. Now, they want to know if I can run. I never give anyone a specific time, but I promise you it's going to be a fast time."
Needless to say, Griffin delivered on his promise.
– Herbie Teope – New Orleans Times-Picayune
- Despite being a productive starting college corner for three seasons, scouts around the league graded Griffin as a marginal free agent entering the season due to concerns about his speed. The senior quelled those concerns, timing just under 4.4 seconds in the 40 and turning in a tremendous practice session. Griffin looked as good as any cornerback during ball drills, displaying a quick backpedal, smooth hip turn and the ability to explode to the ball out of his plant. Sized well at just about 6-0, 194 pounds, Griffin now enters the conversation as a potential middle-round choice.
– Fran Duffy & Tony Pauline – PhiladelphiaEagles.com