Plain and simply, Everson Griffen didn’t match the hype during his three seasons at USC. He came in as a highly touted defensive end prospect from Arizona, who was projected be an unstoppable force for the Trojans, but instead, he proved to be rather inconsistent. As a freshman in 2007, he recorded 5 sacks in just seven games, and a year later, he regressed as a full-time starter with just 4.5 sacks.
NFL Draft 2010 Player Profile: Everson Griffen, USC Defensive End
This past season, he did have 8 sacks and 44 tackles, but still did not have the kind of impact you would expect from a guy who has been so highly touted. There is no questioning his athletic ability and upside. You’d be hard pressed to find a more talented defensive end prospect in this year’s class. He has good size and speed, and accelerates well off the line.
His initial quickness allows him to be a dominant force at times and a nightmare for quarterbacks on 3rd downs. However, there seems to be something lacking with Griffen and that is consistency. Often times, he doesn’t play with the intensity needed to take over a game. He takes plays off and looks disinterested at times. You have to question whether he even likes football all that much to begin. At least, that’s what his body language seems to indicate - on certain occasions. That isn’t a recipe for success on the professional level. But, if placed in the right situation, a motivated Griffen could become a productive player in the NFL for years to come. That is if the stars align.
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