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Evaluating Shaq Thompson’s 2015 NFL Draft Stock After Week 12

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By @rickstavig

Shaq Thompson, 2015 NFL Draft

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not hard to understand the value and importance of athleticism when it comes to evaluating prospects for the NFL Draft. When looking at prospects likely to be in the 2015 NFL Draft, you’ll be hard pressed to find many better athletes than Washington LB/RB Shaq Thompson.

That’s right. Two positions, and one of them isn’t the typical punt or kick returner. This dude excels at two of the most physical positions in the game, running back and linebacker.

At running back, the 6-foot 2, 225-pound Thompson is second on the team in rushing yards with 456 on just 61 attempts, good for an impressive 7.5 yards per carry, to go along with 2 TD’s. He’s also chipped in 4 receptions for 56 yards in the passing game. While Thompson has looked solid on offense, and could potentially be a strong fit in a zone-blocking scheme with his one-cut ability, it’s on defense where his future likely lies.

Thompson, a junior, has been a truly elite playmaker on defense this year. You can’t teach big-play ability, you either have it or you don’t, and Thompson clearly has it. Through eleven games this year, Thompson has racked up 61 tackles, 2 TFL’s, 3 FF’s, 4 FR’s, a sack and an INT. But the really impressive part is that he took that INT 36 yards to the house for a TD, and he’s returned those four fumbles for 184 yards and 3 TD’s. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s four defensive TD’s this year and the season’s not over yet.

From a scouting perspective, what’s to like about Thompson other than his uncanny ability to make huge, momentum-changing plays? He has a good size/speed ratio (projected 4.5 40), and has sideline-to-sideline range, which aids in both stopping the outside run and dropping out in coverage.

He doesn’t have huge numbers in terms of pass rush and getting after the QB, but he has the skills to excel in that area as well with a good first step and solid explosion. He takes good angles and is a sound tackler. He has a very high football IQ, what you’d expect from someone who’s mastered two different playbook’s and plays both ways, and has strong instincts and reaction time. He’ll need to get better at shedding blocks and using his hands, but the raw skill set is impressive.

And of course, there’s the elite athleticism, as we mentioned at the very beginning. Thompson was a mega recruit coming out of Grant Union High School in Sacramento (CA), and was a consensus top-5 player nationally. He was a star in football (obviously), track and field and baseball, and was even drafted in the 18th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Scouts love well-rounded athletes, especially the freaks who excel on both offense and defense in a major college conference like the PAC 12.

What’s his projection at the next level and where will he be drafted? With his size and athleticism, he could play a number of positions in various different schemes at the next level. His best fit, in my opinion, will be at OLB in an even front, where he could play either weak or strong side’s at a very high level. As far as draft position, at this still-early stage, I’d be very surprised to see him slip out of the first round.

Thompson has always shown glimpses of his game-breaking ability, but this year he’s truly taken the next step in his development and begun to really apply those physical skills on the gridiron. His draft stock has been soaring as a result, and barring some kind of injury, could be one of the first linebackers taken in the 2015 NFL Draft (assuming he goes forgoes his senior season, as most prognosticate).

Rick Stavig is an NFL Draft Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on Google+.

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