Shaq Thompson: Get to know the Panthers 1st round draft pick
With the 25th pick in the NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected outside linebacker Shaq Thompson. Here’s what you need to know about Shaq:
His stats
Position: LB
School: Washington University (Junior)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 228 lbs.
Age: 21
At the NFL Combine before the draft, he ran an impressive 4.64 seconds.
Shaq Thompson here. He’ll be wearing No. 54 pic.twitter.com/I11nnXuriG
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) May 1, 2015
Versatile Player
– With the Washington Huskies, he scored 6 touchdowns: two as a running back and four on defense with interceptions and forced fumbles.
– He was the 2014 Paul Hornung Award, given to the most versatile player in college football.
Comparisons
– Shaq channels the Panthers very own veteran linebacker Thomas Davis (who btw announced Shaq’s name during the draft ceremony). Former Panthers coach John Fox and Jay Glazer have said Shaq reminded them of a rookie Davis.
– Others compare his big play special teams abilities to those of Seattle Seahawk’s powerhouse Kam Chancellor. Panther fans will remember Chancellor: He kept leaping over our line during last year’s playoff game.
Panthers’ man of year Thomas Davis introduces man of moment Shaq Thompson. @Scott_fowler: http://t.co/zQScjfWpnu pic.twitter.com/S7ydArVqoW — Mike Persinger (@mikepersinger) May 1, 2015
Really…Another Linebacker?!
Some Panthers fans don’t see why the organization drafted another linebacker when they already have a dominant duo with Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis. And more of our team’s biggest weaknesses are in the offensive line and wide receiver position.
But, at least with his speed and coverage, Shaq Thompson makes our team DEFINITELY have one of the best linebacker units in the NFL.
I love Shaq Thompson – incredible athlete with his lid squared on straight but my man Dave Gettleman might’ve reached a bit @Panthers
— Patrick Connor (@pcon34) May 1, 2015
Other fun Shaq facts
– He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2012, but he didn’t have a great career with the team. Thompson struck out 37 times in 39 career at bats. He was an outfielder and only played in 13 games.
– His new nickname might be the “Swiss Army Knife” based on all of his versatile positions.
– He might show Cam Newton some more Superman moves.
Social media
Follow Shaq Thompson on Twitter at @ShaqThompson_7. He’s even responding to corporate tweets about him coming to Panthers organizati
@shaqthompson_7 #Panthers fans are ready for you to put on the Black & Blue. How does it feel to be heading to Carolina? #OurColors
— Tide NFL (@TideNFL) May 1, 2015
He’s also on Instagram at @datboi_7
Keep calm finally 21! Beast Day
A photo posted by Shaq Thompson (@datboi_7) on Apr 21, 2015 at 8:15am PDT
Overall
I like the pick, especially after seeing some highlights in his Huskies football package (below). When offensive tackle DJ Humphries of Florida (and Charlotte native) went off the draft board at #24, I was fine with the Panthers taking Shaq as a backup pick. Even though critics say he doesn’t tackle well against the run, I think he’ll grow tremendously from Kuechly and Davis.
Photos: AP Photo/David Zalubowski; AP Photo/Chuck Burton, AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
This story was originally published May 3, 2015 at 9:30 PM.