Cedric Griffin is a Holmes HS (San Antonio) product who played both wideout and corner earning 2nd team All-State (5A). He earned playing time early at Texas and made the most of it, showing his versitility playing both strong safety, nickel back, and corner. Don't let his lack of interceptions fool you, Cedric is a talented defensive back and has the ability to play in the NFL.
The first thing I noticed about Griffin is that he loves to hit. He is not a corner that will shy away from contact, and he can deliver a jarring hit on a wideout. He can also come inside and help versus the run. He has a nice fluid backpedal and moves his feet very well without much wasted movement. He is somewhat stiff in the hips and has problems turning and running with speedy receivers. He doesn't have blinding straight ahead speed, but he has nice acceleration and can get to the ball in close areas. He has great size and leaping ability for a corner, and he can win jump balls. He also has soft hands and rarely drops a ball thrown in his direction, although he is not really a "ballhawking" corner. He is very much an effort player. Cedric plays with passion and goes all out every play. From time to time, he can lose focus and overrun the play or become vunerable to double moves.
2006 NFL Draft Outlook
When draft time rolls around, the knock on Cedric will be his 40 time. NFL teams are looking more for speed than size in corners today, with the rules as they are. With the skill set he has (hitting, acceleration, toughness), I believe he could make a good, even Pro-Bowl, free safety. His versitility will definately be an asset to him on draft day. I look for Griffin to be a late second to third round pick.
2008 Draft Review
