Oakland Raiders should look at drafting a largely overlooked player

The Oakland Raiders have a dire need for help in their linebackers group, and could find that help in a largely overlooked player.

The Oakland Raiders will be handing in their first-round draft card in a matter of hours and will begin laying the foundation – and future – of this franchise in the Jon Gruden 2.0 era.

What they do with the tenth overall pick is a mystery. With plenty of needs on both sides of the ball, Gruden and Reggie McKenzie could choose from a large handful of players and improve this team with every one of them.

Roquan Smith, Denzel Ward, Mike McGlinchey, Derwin James, Tremaine Edmunds, Vita Vea, Maurice Hurst – the Raiders will likely have multiple names on that list (and plenty more) to choose from when they’re on the clock.

They can’t go wrong with any number of names on that list – and it’s critical, they get it right, as they truly will be shaping this team for years to come.

While the early round picks are important and draw the most attention – it is prime-time entertainment, after all – the latter rounds of the Draft are equally as important when you’re a team like the Raiders, and have so many glaring holes to fill.

There are sleepers in every draft. Sometimes, there is genuine franchise altering talent that can be found on day two and three – Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history, was a sixth-round pick (199 overall), lest you forget. Sometimes, these hidden gems are a little rough around the edges and need to be polished up to unlock their true potential.

And sometimes, they just fall into your lap.

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Now, let’s get one thing straight up front. This is not to say every hidden gem you find is going to be a franchise changer like Brady. Most of the time, these hidden gems turn out to be solid contributors. Glue guys that do the dirty work, who are consistent year in and year out, and are never considered “stars.” But those glue guys are invaluable to a team.

Okay, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s look at one of those glue guys the Raiders should be able to pick up in the later rounds of the draft – UCF’s Shaquem Griffin.

Some might ask how it can be argued that Griffin has been overlooked, given that he was the darling of the Combine and the feel good story of the offseason. And, to that, it can be argued that most people don’t see him as more than that – a Combine darling and feel good story.

The fact of the matter is, Griffin can ball.

Despite a childhood condition that required the amputation of his left hand, Griffin worked. And worked. And worked some more. He worked twice as hard to prove himself. And prove himself he did, winning AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2016.

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Over his 40 games at UCF, Griffin racked up 195 tackles (122 solo) – 33.5 for a loss – 18.5 sacks, 16 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and three interceptions.

He’s a willing tacker, whose proven that he’s solid against the run, equally as solid against the pass, and has the speed to get around the edge and get after the quarterback.

Coincidentally, the Raiders need a linebacker who can do all of those things.

While it’s true that he’s on the smallish, undersized side for an NFL linebacker (six feet tall, 227 pounds), he has the frame that will allow him to add some muscle and bulk. He has crazy speed to burn (4.38 in the 40), and plenty of strength, putting up 20 reps at the Combine.

Although some people seek to define him by the limitations imposed upon him by the lack of one hand, Griffin has defined himself with a solid work ethic, commitment to his craft, and dedication to being a superior athlete.

While yes, you do realistically need to factor in how the hand will impact him on the NFL level, given the value of draft picks, his accomplishments on the field can’t, and shouldn’t, be overlooked or somehow, devalued.

Given that he may be considered undersized, one intriguing scenario would be – given his high football IQ, overall intelligence, adaptability and versatility – having him switch positions, playing cornerback, rather than linebacker. He certainly has ideal size and speed to play the position – the same position his twin brother Shaquill Griffin plays with the Seattle Seahawks.

But, that’s pie in the sky stuff for the moment.

For now, the reality is that Griffin is a player who is dedicated, motivated, relentless, intelligent, and loves to play the game. Or, you know, just about the very definition of the type of football player Gruden prefers – a grinder.

Reality being what it is, Griffin isn’t going to hear his name called on the first day of the draft. He may not even hear it called on day two. Although he is widely recognized as a fantastic football player in the college ranks, the truth of the matter is that Griffin is going to have to prove himself all over again at the NFL level.

And to his credit, Griffin is not shying away from that. Rather, he’s embracing it and is using it as fuel to continue proving his doubters wrong.

It seems likely that Griffin is going to be in somebody’s camp this summer. Enough GM’s and coaches are intrigued enough with his athleticism that somebody is going to give him a look. The question is, are any GM’s and coaches out there intrigued enough to expend draft capital on him?

Gruden and McKenzie, armed with four picks in the sixth-round and two in the seventh, would do well to add a player like Griffin to add Griffin to their stockpile of rookies. He can step in and contribute on special teams on day one. And given Gruden’s stated mission to make Oakland’s special teams great again, that’s not a bad thing.

Though, you would be a fool to bet against him becoming a solid contributor to an NFL defense. Shaquem Griffin is more than just a feel good story – he’s a damn good football player and you can never have to many of those on your team.

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