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UCF LB Griffin to attend NFL draft in Dallas

Central Florida linebacker Shaquem Griffin accepted an invitation to attend the 2018 NFL Draft next month in Dallas, he told reporters Thursday after his pro day.

"I was a guy who was under the radar who they didn't believe in at first, but I feel like they're starting to believe now," Griffin told reporters after his workout. "I have the entire nation behind me now."

Griffin, the twin brother of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin, has shined during the pre-draft process despite not initially receiving an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

He impressed scouts and coaches at the Senior Bowl and soon after received an invitation to Indy, where he tore up the combine with the fastest 40-yard dash (4.38) by a linebacker since 2003. The blazing 40 came a day after Griffin, who had his left hand amputated at age 4 because of amniotic band syndrome, did 20 bench-press reps with a prosthetic on his left arm.

Griffin won the AAC's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016 and had 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons, but he's widely considered a mid-round pick because of his lack of size. His 6-foot-1, 227-pound frame likely will make him an off-the-ball linebacker at the next level instead of an edge rusher like he was for the Knights. Many scouts have also pegged him as a potential special teams star.

Between 22 and 30 prospects have accepted invitations to the draft in every year since 2011, with most pegged to go in the first round and typically a few each year who slip to Round 2. Last year in Philadelphia, 22 players attended.

The full list of attendees will be announced in the second week of April.

The draft will begin with Round 1 on April 26, with Rounds 2 and 3 on the 27th and Rounds 4-7 on the 28th.

--Field Level Media