2017 NFL Combine: Best Overall Performance by Position
By Zach Bigalke
A glut of great cornerbacks arrived in Indianapolis hoping to gain separation from the field. Players like Adoree’ Jackson, Chidobe Awuzie, Teez Tabor, and Jourdan Lewis were regulars among mock drafts leading into this year’s NFL Combine. While there was plenty of star power from the big schools, though, it was a Group of Five talent that outshone the other corners in attendance.
Shaquill Griffin finished fourth in the 40-yard dash, stopping the timer in 4.38 seconds and finishing just a tenth of the top mark. He pumped off 17 reps in the bench press, finishing sixth among corners. His three-cone time, the weakest mark for Griffin at the NFL Combine, was still good enough to finish 10th among defensive backs. His shuttle times were also strong.
Where Griffin really excelled, though, was in the jumping events. His vertical leap of 38.5 inches was tied for third-best among cornerbacks. The UCF corner did one better in the broad jump, finishing behind only UCLA’s Fabian Moreau and tying with Colorado’s Awuzie with a mark of 132 inches. The big names from the big schools will still get long looks, but teams will surely also spend more time thinking about Griffin after his Combine showing.