The Future 40, Prospect 36: Everson Griffen Scouting Report

A temporary article series was formed about two months ago called The Future 40, and the next edition is here! The segment has and will continue to run every other day until late April as we provide you with in-depth scouting reports of some 2010 NFL Draft prospects, giving you information key to understanding some of the players’ strengths, weaknesses, projected round of selection, possibility of being picked by the Eagles, and much more! And because the Draft is an important event for the entire league, some of the top-ranked players not expected to go to Philadelphia will also be reported on. This time around, we took a look at Everson Griffen:

• Prospect Name: Everson Griffen
• Position: Defensive End
• College: University of Southern California (USC)
• Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 275 pounds
• Age: 22 years
• Class Status: Junior

Summary: Often compared to longtime defender Jevon Kearse–whose nickname was “The Freak”–Everson Griffen is one of the best players set to be available in the nearing NFL Draft, in terms of pure potential and athleticism. His pass rushing capabilities aren’t as flashy and impressive as someone like Derrick Morgan’s or Jason Pierre-Paul’s, but he certainly seems to have a future at the professional level after three solid seasons in college. A running back and defensive tackle for his football team at Agua Fria High School in Arizona, Griffen was scouted by a variety of top-notch NCAA squads. Among the teams that showed interest in recruiting the hard-working player to their schools were Notre Dame, UCLA, and Michigan. However, it was the University of Southern California that he ultimately chose to attend. He made an immediate impact on the team, and was even involved in heated competition in the offseason leading up to his freshman campaign, in which he began in the starting lineup. Earning honors as one of the nation’s top first-year stars, Griffen recorded five and a half sacks and a pair of forced fumbles in 2007. The following year, he played in a backup role on the defensive line and saw playing time both as a pass rusher and DT. Though his sack total dropped by one and his number of tackles also declined, Griffen showed potential for the future and seemed to work well as an interior defensive lineman. With the departure of veteran Trojans, he was rewarded a full-time spot as a starter and put up impressive statistics while garnering All-Pac-10 awards. He had a career-high eight sacks, while also ranking among the team leaders with 45 tackles (9 of which were for a loss of yardage). Though not the fastest or most dominant of the pass rushers soon to be rookies in the NFL, the USC product figures to be taken early in the selection process and work into a team’s starting lineup within his first few seasons.

Career Statistics:

Notable Achievements/Awards:

• All-Pac-10 Honors (2008, 2009)
• Freshman All-American Honors (2007)
• National Defensive Player of the Year watch list member (2009)

Strengths:

• Has quality size and physicality to play on the defensive line
• Explodes off the line of scrimmage in his first step towards an opponent
• Is comfortable playing upright and as an outside linebacker; performed here numerous times late in games or in practices
• Pursues the ball-carrier extremely well and is willing to chase a runner down the field
• Balances his pass rushing techniques and works to keep himself at a steady, yet aggressive pace on the d-line
• Enters blocking attempts of opposing offensive linemen with near-perfect stances
• Has the agility to move off the defensive line on plays and range towards the outside of the field
• Is a pretty reliable tackler and can make hard hits
• Has a high amount of upside; is likely to continue improving as the years go by in the NFL

Weaknesses:

• Lacks a consistency in his performances and rarely has a string of great games
• Seems as if he could be more productive than he actually is
• Fails to utilize his physical frame to it’s full extent; doesn’t use a whole lot of power when rushing the passer
• Is not much of a team player or leader
• Sometimes uses his hands in unnecessary ways while defending, such as trying to use them awkwardly while escaping a lineman
• Struggles to identify opposing teams’ plays or schemes
• Rarely acts as a dominant player on the field and is rather a varied performer in terms of production
• Lacks an elite set of instincts

Projected Round of Selection: 1st-2nd round

NFL Player Comparison: Will Smith, New Orleans Saints

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We hope that everyone enjoyed the 36th report for The Future 40 prospect segment, and urge you to keep checking back for more scouting analysis as the series continues all the way up until the Draft! Also, remember that we will happily take and consider requests from our fans for this series!

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