Shaquill Griffin Bringing New Mentality to Texans Defense: New 'Legion of Boom'?

After signing with the Texans this offseason, Shaquill Griffin looks to bring a new mentality to the defense.

By this point in the offseason, plenty has been written about just how bad the Houston Texans were on defense in 2022. And with that in mind, they approached the free agency period and the NFL Draft looking to bolster that side of the ball.

After all, it can't get too much worse than last year when they were the 27th-ranked scoring defense - allowing a whopping 24.7 points per game on 379.5 yards of total offense.

The most notable offseason addition, of course, was the trade-up to select Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3 overall. However, another potential key move was the signing of cornerback Shaquill Griffin. 

Griffin, who spent the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, started his career with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, as he adds as a veteran presence to the Houston secondary, he looks to instill some of the knowledge that he learned while in Seattle. 

“I got a chance to play with some guys that kind of helped shape my game a lot,” Griffin said. “You know, you’re talking about the Richard Shermans, the Earl Thomas’, the Kam Chancellors, the guys who actually took the time to take me under their wing and teach me some things that I use now today.”

In Seattle, Sherman, Thomas and Chancellor helped form one of the NFL's best defenses in their prime, the Legion of Boom. Having been drafted by the Seahawks, Griffin had the opportunity to learn from some of the best defenders in the league. 

Of course, he will also make a definite impact on the field in Houston. Despite two down seasons in Jacksonville, Griffin has shown he can be a dependable corner - evidenced by his three straight seasons from 2018-2020 with 60+ tackles, and five interceptions in that time span. 

Beyond that, though, his veteran presence will go a long way in a young secondary that features a duo of second-year players in cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre. 

“If you have knowledge, give it,” Griffin said. “I’m not the type of person to hold all that stuff to myself. It started off day one, and whatever I know, I’m going to continue to preach it.”

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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