ARLINGTON- Shaquem Griffin, the one-handed man in this draft, is still waiting. He is one of the top players in this draft and is doing everything he can to make it to the NFL. The game film proves that the UCF linebacker is an absolutely dynamic pass rusher that has loads of speed and really good strength. He can nail quarterbacks. Defensive coordinators can also be comfortable with dropping him back to cover receivers deep.
NFL teams should not be worried about him only having one hand. Griffin is a playmaker and there is no excuse for failing to draft him. Griffin lost his arm at age 4 due to Amniotic Band Syndrome. Griffin was awarded the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. Why do teams keep passing on this linebacker? He used a prosthetic hand in the combine during the bench press. He did 20 reps during the drill. He also ran the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds . That is outstanding especially for a 6-0, 223 pound linebacker.
Maurice Hurst
Fans and reporters are still waiting for Michigan Defensive Tackle Maurice Hurst to be taken. He is rated the best defensive tackle in the 2018 NFL Draft. He should have been taken in the first round. Hurst is like Gerald McCoy and Fletcher Cox. He is an expert at penetrating through offensive lines and eating up blocks.
One would think there is absolutely no reason that Saturday afternoon, Hurst is still on the board. How is cornerstone of Michigan’s juggernaut defense still available? At first glance, this does not seem logical at all. Surely this is another reason why he is still on the board.
Is there some hidden issue that was not made obvious to everyone on Friday? It turns out that in March, ESPN reported that Hurst has a heart condition. He was cleared to play but this seems to scare a lot of teams away.