Grading the Shaquem Griffin pick by the Seattle Seahawks
By Lee Vowell
The Seahawks had four picks in the fifth round; Heretofore known as the Seahawks round. Seattle has had lots of success fairly recently in this round, such as Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. But no one made bigger news than their first pick of the fifth round in the 2018 draft: Shaquem Griffin.
Round 5, Pick 141: Shaquem Griffin, Linebacker, UCF
So this happened. The Seahawks took cornerback Shaquill Griffin’s brother, Shaquem. And though Shaquem plays with one hand, the guy is a beast!
Think about where Griffin would have gone had he not had his “physical liability.” That is in quotes because at no point in his playing life has Griffin not been one of the better players of his teams.
The Seahawks needed a pass rusher and in Griffin they have a new one. Griffin also supplies speed at linebacker and field coverage. Will NFL teams learn a way to play Griffin? Yes. The same as they do with all players.
Remember that combine freakishness? The guy who ran a 4.38 40? Seattle got him.
Plus, this will only bring a slightly more fractured team in 2018 closer together. Not only will Griffin be a good player, but Seattle players also know that the team risks bringing in a player like Griffin. And that he is Shaquill Griffin’s brother? Wow. Win-win.
Shaquem will not start right away, of course. The Seahawks already have two good linebackers in K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner. But Shaquem Griffin will makes plays in his rookie year. Just watch.
Seattle also likes players who play with a chip on their shoulders. No one will have a bigger one than Shaquem.
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Grade: A (This is a fifth round pick. People should remember where Griffin went in five years.)