Friday 30 March 2018 07:12, UK
Central Florida linebacker Shaquem Griffin accepted an invitation to attend the 2018 NFL Draft next month in Dallas.
Griffin, the twin brother of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin, has captured the imagination in the build-up to the draft because he had his left hand amputated at age four because of amniotic band syndrome.
The 22-year-old has shined during the pre-draft process despite not initially receiving an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
"I was a guy who was under the radar who they didn't believe in at first, but I feel like they're starting to believe now," Griffin told reporters after his pro day workout. "I have the entire nation behind me now."
He impressed scouts and coaches at the Senior Bowl and soon after received an invitation to Indy, where he tore up the combine with the fastest 40-yard dash (4.38) by a linebacker since 2003. The blazing 40 came a day after Griffin did 20 bench-press reps with a prosthetic on his left arm.
After passing on the vertical jump at the combine, he touched 37.5 inches Thursday, which would have ranked sixth among all linebackers in Indy. He also did the three-cone drill and some defensive back drills, showing off his versatility despite dropping a few passes.
"I think I jumped pretty high today, so they say," Griffin said, per ESPN. "I feel pretty good about that. I wasn't worried about [the drops].
"As long as I was getting out of my breaks good and showing good hips - shoot, it'll give them a reason to sit down and think, 'Well this guy can play everything.' "
Griffin won the AAC's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016 and had 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons, but he's widely considered a mid-round pick because of his lack of size.
His 6-foot-1, 227-pound frame likely will make him an off-the-ball linebacker at the next level instead of an edge rusher like he was for the Knights. Many scouts have also pegged him as a potential special-teams star.
Whenever he gets picked, Griffin expects tears to follow.
"I'll be very emotional," he said. "I'll cry a lot. My mom will cry even more, so there's going to be a lot of crying going on."
Between 22 and 30 prospects have accepted invitations to the draft in every year since 2011, with most pegged to go in the first round and typically a few each year who slip to Round 2. Last year in Philadelphia, 22 players attended.
The full list of attendees will be announced in the second week of April.
The draft will begin with Round 1 on April 26, with Rounds 2 and 3 on April 27 and Rounds 4-7 on April 28.
