Time for Seahawks Shaquill Griffin to make good on his potential

Shaquill Griffin came to the Seahawks to one day replace his legendary predecessor Richard Sherman. So far he has done little to fill those shoes.

When the Seahawks drafted the 6-foot corner out of UCF in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, they hoped he would do more than just look the part. If the casual fan flips on a Seahawks game today, they’ll see #26 on the left side of the field. With a similar physical build and hairstyle to his mentor, it would be forgivable to mistake him for his former teammate at first glance. Their similarities stop as soon as the ball is snapped.

Despite Shaquill Griffin being substantially faster and having longer arms then Sherman, he struggles with the playmaking aspects that made Sherman such an impactful corner. The two most important of those are turning his head so he can make a play when the ball is in the air, and setting the edge on run plays. There is one game in particular where Griffin’s shortcomings in those areas are vividly highlighted.

Seattle’s 24-22 playoff loss to Dallas served as a microcosm of how Griffin fell short during his sophomore campaign. Although there were numerous plays throughout the game where he left much to be desired, there are two that were more unsightly than the rest. They both happened on the same 7 play, 75-yard touchdown drive to end the second quarter which gave Dallas a 10-6 halftime lead.

Seahawks Griffin gives up Elliot’s 44-yard Run

Dallas began their drive on their own 25-yard line with two timeouts and 1:43 to go in the half. After two short completions, the Cowboys lacked urgency as they set up for 3rd and 1 from their own 34-yard line. They let the clock tick down to 1:11, seemingly content with their conservative approach. Suddenly, a season-altering play took place. It’s the second play of the video.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott sends wideout Tavon Austin in motion, who settles in between the right guard and the right tackle. Griffin follows and then backs up to the 41-yard line to play the pass on his side from a safety-like position. When the ball is snapped Austin plows forward serving as a blocker for what is presumed as a run up the middle. Griffin has his eyes glued to his man and not on the ball.

So instead of dropping down to the edge of the line and containing the run, he takes two steps forward towards the middle of the line of scrimmage. This is despite the fact that Cowboys tailback Ezekiel Elliot has already run far enough to be outside the tight end on the line of scrimmage. By the time Griffin realizes what happened, it is too late and the Cowboys find themselves on Seattle’s 22-yard line with 1:03 to go in the half.

Seahawks allow Dak Prescott – Michael Gallup score

More from Seattle Seahawks News

• 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
• Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency 
• Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
• 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
• 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson

Following two short completions, the Cowboys find the Seahawks on the ropes with a 1st and 10 from the Seahawks 11-yard line with 33 seconds to go in the half. Prescott takes the shotgun snap and glances left for a moment before moving his attention to a matchup between Griffin and Michael Gallup on the right side of the field. Prescott notices that Griffin’s back is turned (which is something that undoubtedly showed up during the film study in preparation for the game) and throws a ball up for grabs.

Much to Seattle’s relief, the ball sailed out of bounds, just out of the reach of both players. On 2nd and 10 now with 28 seconds to go, Prescott lines up in the shotgun again, with the same Griffin vs Gallup match-up to his right side. As soon as the ball is snapped Prescott launches the ball back at Gallup who runs the same route as before. Touchdown Dallas.

While this is a well-thrown ball by Prescott, it was also thrown low enough for the defender to make a play on it. Whether it is intercepting the ball or tipping it to the safety Tedric Thompson who was streaking towards the play, Griffin has more than enough athletic talent to make this play. This is a play we saw Sherman make many times over the years for the Seahawks.

Griffin is talented and has the measurables to be a top corner in this league for a long time to come. As the Seahawks enter a year where their pass rush projects to be less than spectacular, the team needs Griffin now more than ever to step up. He has to make strides towards being the top corner that he was drafted to be.