Griffin Brothers Reunite In Seattle
Shaquem Griffin was the subject of one of the fascinating storylines in this year’s draft due to him and the birth defect that left him with one hand at such a young age.
He is certainly a fighter as he turned into quite the young man and an even better football player that has caught the attention of the NFL Executives and most notably, the Seattle Seahawks organization who were the only team to bring him in for a private interview during the draft process.
Another layer in this great story is the fact that his twin brother who played alongside Shaquem in college is also a Seahawk and like a storybook ending, both of the brothers will have a chance to do it once again in the NFL.
Shaquem may appear to be limited with one hand, but there is hope that he will utilize his ability to blow past the slower tackles and disrupt offenses and getting to the quarterback. In a move to get a little younger and after trading the majority of their defense, they are looking to rebuild for the future with a less outspoken approach to their craft toward social issues that are plaguing America.
Jalyn Holmes, DE
The first Buckeye off the board is Holmes and he found a home with the Vikings in the 4th Round. With an already young and stout defense, the Vikings took a chance on Holmes based on his potential and his physical traits.
He projects as a DE and he will likely have to lose some weight to blossom into a key reserve at worst or a late bloomer, that turns into a key rotational player or a starter at best. Potential is often thrown around loosely, but I believe that he will blossom into the latter because I believe in Coach Johnson and what he brings to the table at Ohio State. He certainly has a lot of work to do, but he is ready.
Jamarco Jones, OT
I think the Seattle Seahawks had one of the best drafts in 2018 and with the addition of a falling Jamarco Jones in the 5th Round, they have a multi-year starter that is versatile and is considered a plug-and-play addition to an inexperienced line.
Jones’ fall was unexpected and the Seahawks drafted an agile and consistent player that is very durable. A stalwart at Ohio State and a bookend tackle, Jones will use this slight as motivation to earn a starting spot and what better situation is there than in Seattle, where they have struggled to piece together an offensive line since their Super Bowl victory against my Broncos.
Michael Hill, DT
Hill was in turbulent waters in his final season at Ohio State, where he was suspended for 6 games and afterward, he played sparingly in a deep D-Line rotation for the Buckeyes.
He, like all Buckeyes, made the best of his opportunities often eating double teams and acting as a roadblock often disrupting the running game. Hill is most likely a project, but he will have to earn what he gets in training camp because nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. Hill does not have the motor of most Silver Bullets, but this will be the perfect time to make people eat their words with this opportunity as a UDFA with the Detroit Lions.
Tracy Sprinkle, DT
Sprinkle suffered a season-ending injury in 2016 and during his final season he was not as productive, but not because he had no impact on the game. He was a rotational player who played in the Buckeye rotation in the D-Line and he certainly has the tools to succeed at the next level.
Like Hill, Sprinkle is a space eater that will be plugged in to eat up blocks and be disruptive in whatever defensive scheme he falls under. As a UDFA with the Carolina Panthers, he will get a chance to play with Star Lotulelei leaving during free agency, but it will be an uphill battle that can be won. Determination and being a man is preached at Ohio State and the confidence level will be high with every Buckeye taking part in the NFL Draft.
Chris Worley, LB
Worley was the ILB at Ohio State at the start of the 2017 season before getting beat out by Tuf Borland. After losing his starting position, he took over duties as an OLB after Dante Booker was injured, where he had a decent season.
Worley signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a UDFA and he is the 3rd Buckeye to join the team via the draft as he joins Billy Price and Sam Hubbard. Worley did not test well in the combine and is often viewed as a system guy with less than ideal athleticism, but that is false–he can ball if placed in the right system.
With the Bengals, Worley is needed depth to an again defense that has some character concerns. The addition of Buckeyes signals a changing of the guard with high character players to wash out the negative stigma in Cincinnati.
Marcus Baugh, TE
Baugh was a highly ranked recruit out of California and he will be coming back to his home state after signing as a UDFA with the Oakland Raiders.  He had high expectations coming out of high school, but it has been a long road for him until his final year at Ohio State.
Baugh was used more often this year and he was the recipient of the game-clinching TD at home versus Penn State. He is a good pass catcher that needs to build strength and work on his blocking skills. The Raiders have an opening at TE and with Baugh, they add one more name to their roster to compete.
Damon Webb, S
Webb landed in the ideal spot after signing with the Tennessee Titans as a UDFA joining former Buckeye Defensive Backs Coordinator Kerry Coombs in the NFL and Mike Vrabel, who coached alongside Luke Fickell and is a former Buckeye great.
Due to the familiarity with both coaches, it makes a ton of sense for Webb, who will use this as motivation. He was a ballhawk at Ohio State and he can play in the box. Adding him to the young secondary will be scary if he can turn the light on during camp. He is an aggressive playmaker that could be a great depth piece and the teams that passed up on him will regret it once he figures it out.
JT Barrett, QB
Barrett is the winningest quarterback to come out of Ohio State and he just signed as a UDFA with the Indianapolis Colts. In an interesting move, the Colts added a winner to a questionable QB room outside of Andrew Luck, who has been bitten by the injury bug lately.
Jacoby Brissett, Brad Kaaya, and Phillip Walker are all fighting for the backup role, and with the addition of Barrett it will make things interesting and he has a realistic shot at making the 53 man roster if he continues his winning ways.
He certainly has the tools to succeed at the next level and with the Colts, it is his best shot. He will give it his best shot moving forward.
