Buyer Beware on Versatile Defender Shaq Thompson in 2015 NFL Draft

Any conversation about Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson and the 2015 NFL draft must come with the following disclaimer. There is little doubt some team is going to spend a high first-round pick on the college star.

However, should Thompson go very early in the draft, that is no guarantee of his success in the league. In fact, of all the players discussed among the top prospects in this draft, Thompson is the one I would be the most cautious of drafting too soon.

Part of the reason for the debate as to how good Thompson can be has to do with his career at the University of Washington. Thompson came to Washington as a defensive back and played that his freshman year. His role was as a rover-type safety who played in linebacker looks as well as a more traditional safety, depending on the situation.

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However, after putting on around 10 pounds between his freshman and sophomore seasons, Thompson found himself at linebacker. Now, don’t misunderstand—on film Thompson’s role wasn’t all that different. The Huskies coaches love moving him all over the field, giving him a wide variety of assignments in that Washington 3-4 defense.

And week after week, Thompson delivered. It is cliche, but it seemed like anywhere you saw the football, No. 7 wasn’t far away. Then we jump to Thompson’s junior year, and this is where things get weird.

For all the talent the Huskies had on defense, the offense was woeful. As a team, Washington threw for 2,801 yards. To compare, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 4,454 yards on his own. This inability to throw the football forced the Huskies to turn to the run game.

This meant Thompson turned back the clock to high school and jumped to the offensive side of the football. Don’t misunderstand—he was still the leader of the defense and finished with 110 tackles. But on the other side of the football, Thompson finished No. 3 on the team with 456 yards rushing and a staggering 7.1 yards per carry. 

As a junior, Thompson has decided to make the jump to the NFL and almost immediately was in the conversation for a first-round pick. However, there are some real legitimate reasons to be cautious about using such a high pick on Thompson.

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First, whether anyone wants to notice the elephant in the room or not, Thompson is not very big. He checked in at the NFL combine at 6’0” and 228 pounds, which is undersized on its surface. However, when you factor in what NFL.com reported from an AFC North scout, the issue becomes more troubling:

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He was 219 pounds when I visited late in the season. I'm concerned about whether he will be able to keep enough weight on to be a 4-3 WILL. Until I see him actually play deep as a safety, I'm not sure that is a projection I'm comfortable making.

"

There are concerns about playing too light to be a linebacker, but there's no evidence of the skills to play safety. Even Bleacher Report’s own Matt Miller shared a fascinating observation:

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Interesting: Shaq Thompson and Landon Collins exact same size. 6'0", 220 lbs.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 21, 2015"

We have all seen guys like this who beef up in the offseason and play their weight away during the year. This could be seriously problematic for a weak-side linebacker who finishes the last month of the year under 220 pounds.

Everyone wants to point to Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David as the best pro player comparison to Thompson based on size. This is absolutely wrong. First, David (listed as 6'1", 233 lbs) is significantly thicker than Thompson. It's hard to say exactly what David’s exact weight is currently, but his upper body is considerably beefier than Thompson's. This doesn’t even take into consideration just how much stronger and more physical David is.

A more appropriate comparison in terms of size and style of play: I’d submit Baltimore Ravens linebacker Arthur Brown (6'0", 235 lbs). Even with a better 40-yard dash time (4.58 compared to 4.64), Brown’s build and style of play are a near clone of what Thompson does on the field.

Speaking of style of play, it is hard to overlook the most glaring aspect of Thompson’s game that is going to hurt him at linebacker in the NFL. Thompson gets blocked far too often. His lack of bulk and the corresponding strength are a huge detriment to shedding blockers.

In fact, Thompson’s inability to win once an offensive player gets his hands on him was echoed by NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah:

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stiff, struggles to take-on RT @TheFootballDuke: I'm curious... Shaq Thompson -- points deducted for no clear position? Lack of size?

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 15, 2015 "

Obviously, how Thompson has been able to overcome this in college is with his speed and explosion. Oftentimes, Thompson can split blockers or cut inside on a larger player without anyone ever getting his hands on him. There are gobs of highlights of Thompson just like the one below, but strictly game cuts only tell part of the story.

It's one thing to do that on a consistent basis against teams like Washington State and Colorado, but rare is the athlete who can win in the NFL by strictly avoiding blocks. Sometimes you just have to lock up and either beat your man or fill the gap and let your teammates make the play.

Last but not least, Thompson’s diverse history at multiple positions could be viewed as a detriment to his draft stock. At this point, it appears that running back is off the table, per Thompson himself. Doug Kyed of NESN.com put this tweet out straight from Thompson:

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Shaq Thompson said running back is out of the question.

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyedNESN) February 21, 2015"

So what does that leave? Strong safety and linebacker. Thompson has played both, but regardless of the name, the roles really weren’t that different. So, in the NFL, where that hybrid role exists more as part of sub-packages, it brings Thompson’s inflated draft stock into question.

One guy who never pulls punches about prospects is James Wexell of Scout.com. Here’s his take on Thompson’s lack of true position:

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Seriously, what position does Shaq Thompson play? And will anyone give serious consideration to drafting him in the first round? I wouldn't.

— James C Wexell (@jimwexell) February 27, 2015"

The bottom line is there are just so many questions about Thompson in multiple levels. The lack of physicality and stiffness in coverage and blocking alone are enough to push him down. Add in a lackluster combine performance and concerns over his size, and it makes the notion of taking Thompson in the first round at all a reach.

Is a move to safety the best bet for Thompson, or is he too slow? A 218-pound Thompson should have better speed. And if he’s going to play himself to that weight anyway, why not have a spot ready for him. However, there’s very little film to support the move, so buyer beware. In the same sentence, a defensive coordinator better be ready to find ways to get Thompson clean air to the football, or he’ll flame out in a hurry.