If you polled Carolina Panthers fans, I have a strong feeling that the top 3 needs most fans would agree on would be a left tackle to protect Cam, a wide receiver to compliment Kelvin Benjamin, and some sort of defensive back, be it a corner to start opposite of Josh Norman or to replace Roman Harper at strong safety. A defensive end would not be shocking, and a few fans would probably want GM Dave Gettleman to double up along the offensive line. But what if the Panthers spent their first round pick on a position that has not been mentioned yet?
Enter Shaq Thompson. A five-star recruit out of high school, Shaq Thompson played running back, safety, and then linebacker. He is listed at 6', 228 pound and ran a disappointed 4.64 40 at the combine. If he runs in the low to mid- 4.5s at Washington's pro day, his stock will climb. He reminds me a lot of Thomas Davis, who was a hybrid linebacker / safety coming out of Georgia. If there is anyone to help teach Thompson how to adapt his unique skill set to the NFL, it is TD58.
Sadly, Thomas Davis turns 32 in just over a week. Couple that with his mythical recovery from three ACL surgeries, and Davis simply cannot be counted on to team up with Luke for much more than two or three years. Bringing in Shaq Thompson would create a frightening linebacking corps for the Panthers, one that would allow Defensive Coordination Sean McDermott to be more creative with coverage and blitz packages. Shaq would have a couple of years to learn under Davis and Kuechly before ascending to Davis's role as Luke's sidekick.
Do not be too surprised if Shaq Thompson's name is called when the Panthers pick comes up at 25 in April.
That's all for Lesson 2.
That's all for Lesson 2.
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Homework - Leave a comment!
Are there any surprise prospects you could see the Panthers selecting in the first round?
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