The dominant tight ends in the modern NFL are extraordinary physical specimens. However, as Ryan Griffin’s top-ranked performance by Offensive Share Metric (OSM) for the New York Jets last season proved, freakish athleticism is not always necessary to succeed at the position.
George Kittle and Travis Kelce are the consensus top two tight ends in the league. However, the highest single-game OSM grade from a tight end came courtesy of second-stringer Griffin, the former undrafted free agent edging Kittle with an impactful performance in Week 11 against the Washington Redskins.
How did Griffin end the year top of the leaderboard at the tight end position? We reflect on his performance in the latest in our OSM Back to the Future series.
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Griffin’s career day
OSM uses the NFL’s NextGen Stats and a series of algorithms to assess a player’s impact on his offense’s production by looking at the factors only he could control.
Griffin earned a grade of 59.86 in the Jets’ 31-17 win at FedEx Field, indicating an elite level of performance, after hauling in all of his five targets for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown.
With such impressive individual production, it is not difficult to see why Griffin scored so highly in OSM, with his score reflecting the important role Griffin played in two scoring drives.
Key plays put Redskins away
Griffin tested reasonably well ahead of the 2013 draft, posting a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 7.5 for his efforts in the athletic drills at his pro day. RAS is a composite metric on a 0 to 10 scale based on the average of all of the percentiles for each of the metrics the player completed during his workout.
While Griffin has ideal size for his position, his workout showed he lacks elite speed, explosion, or agility.
However, not being a standout in any of those areas did not prevent the former Houston Texan from enjoying a career day as he took full advantage of his increased role in the offense amid the absence of the injured Chris Herndon.
Having taken his first catch for a 16-yard gain in the first quarter, Griffin played a pivotal part in giving the Jets complete command of the game late in the second.
Griffin moved the Jets into the red zone with a 45-yard catch and run from Sam Darnold. He demonstrated the awareness to stay alive in the play as Darnold scrambled to his left, cleverly turning his route upfield to get into open space before rumbling down to the 16-yard line.
On the subsequent play, Griffin found a weak spot in the Redskins’ zone coverage to catch a ball thrown slightly behind him from Darnold and cruise into the endzone.
Later in the third quarter, Griffin gained 26 yards after a play-action rollout from Darnold, demonstrating impressive vision in the open field by taking advantage of the overpursuing defenders to change direction and move the Jets into Redskins’ territory.
It was a play on which did the Jets did an excellent job of getting Griffin into a favorable position. They achieved the same feat on a critical third down in the fourth quarter, a pick on a second-level defender from Demaryius Thomas giving Griffin a matchup with defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, which he exploited to move the sticks with a six-yard gain.
The play stood after an offensive pass interference call against the Jets was overturned, and three plays later New York ended any lingering hope of a Redskins comeback by making it 27-3.
Griffin enjoying a career day in his seventh season in the league points to this performance being an anomaly rather than something he will be able to replicate consistently. However, for a Jets team that lacks proven options at the offensive skill positions, it was a display that indicated he could be a valuable contributor as they look to take a step forward in Darnold’s third season.
An increased role in 2020?
In terms of controlling what you can control, Griffin could hardly have performed better. He excelled while catching the ball and made up for what he lacks in elite-level athleticism by displaying awareness and vision in the open field to make the most of his opportunities.
With Herndon, who is highly thought of within the Jets’ organization, set to return in 2020, Griffin will be in a backup role again this season.
Having demonstrated his potential impact against Washington, there is a chance Griffin sees an increased role. Slot receiver Jamison Crowder is the only truly proven wideout on the depth chart, with the Jets hoping Breshad Perriman’s strong finish to last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a sign of things to come.
Rookie Denzel Mims is likely to claim the other starting spot, and, after an abbreviated offseason, the Jets may be forced to rely more heavily on players already experienced in Adam Gase’s offense such as Herndon, Crowder, and Griffin.
That could mean more two tight end sets for New York and more opportunities for Griffin to shine. While clearly an impressive athlete, Griffin did not set many pulses racing with his pro day workout, and his career in the league has been similarly solid but unspectacular to this point.
What he does have, however, is veteran savvy, and he put it to great use in the win over the Redskins last year. That kind of intelligence is a handy commodity, particularly for a team aiming to make strides with a young quarterback and an unproven supporting cast. Griffin’s top-ranked OSM performance came in a lost season for the Jets, yet the qualities he displayed in the victory may help ensure 2020 is more memorable for Gang Green.