There’s no question Shaquem Griffin became the feel-good story from this year’s NFL draft, even if his selection came later than some expected.
Just why he slid may now be clear, with a report stating his fifth-round landing spot was the result of a readjusted combine time.
The one-handed Central Florida linebacker, who originally clocked in at 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at March’s NFL Combine, actually ran closer to 4.58 seconds given the clock started late, according to NFLDraftScout.com.
He had dropped jaws with his original time, which would have been the fastest for a linebacker since 2003. But with the adjustment, many teams reportedly shifted Griffin, 22, on their draft boards accordingly. Teams still considered Griffin a solid prospect, but falling short of the top 100.
A first-team all-conference choice in 2017, the 6-foot, 227-pound Griffin, who had his left arm amputated at the age of 4 after being born with amniotic band syndrome, was selected 141st overall by the Seahawks on Saturday, reuniting him with twin brother, cornerback Shaquill Griffin, in Seattle.
“It’s unexplainable, the emotions, everything that was going through my mind. It was crazy,” Griffin said, via ESPN.
In addition to his stellar combine, in which he used a prosthetic on his left arm to bench-press 20 reps of 225 pounds, Griffin had 74 tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception last year.