CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There was quite the irony when Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis announced to the world that his team had selected University of Washington outside linebacker Shaq Thompson with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Ten years earlier when Davis was taken in the first round by the Panthers, it wasn't clear if he was going to be a safety or linebacker. It took a couple of seasons to figure it out, but Davis finally wound up at linebacker, where he's excelled.
Thompson, one of the more versatile athletes in the draft, is also a tweener between outside linebacker and safety. But unlike Davis, odds are he'll end up at safety, one of the many positions that is desperately needed by Carolina.
However, nearly all the prognosticators view Thompson as a major first-round reach. And apparently the other 31 NFL teams did to. The Panthers were the only team to bring him in for a workout.
One prominent player ranking system had him slotted as the 69th-best overall player. FoxSports.com had Thompson ranked as the 35th-best player.
Nonetheless, clearly the Panthers liked him.
Thompson will help out immediately on special teams for Carolina, which sported one of the worst all-around units in the league last season. He played running back some in college, as well as safety, so it's clear he has the ability to get down field in a timely manner.
While being on special teams is a given, there's a reason why all signs point to Thompson being a future safety in the NFL.
Carolina utilizes a 4-3 defense, but played three linebackers almost less than any other team in the NFL last season. And when you already have arguably the game's best middle linebacker in Luke Kuchly and a star outside linebacker in Davis, the quickest way for Thompson to contribute is at safety, especially in the dime defensive set.
Moreover, analytically speaking, Thompson was one of the worst run stoppers of all the linebackers in the draft, ranking 31st out of 48. However, he also was one of the best coverage linebackers in the draft, ranking sixth. Obviously, being able to stop the run is quintessential to being a good linebacker, as a result, his talents seem more geared to that as a safety.
The good news for Carolina is it can take it's time with Thompson as he learns the position. The Panthers have people in place for next season with Roman Harper so that he doesn't have to start right away.
Should he actually play outside linebacker, the big concern outside of his run stoppage is whether or not he can keep enough weight on his frame to play the WILL linebacker spot. During the season, he weighed a slight 219 pounds. For instance, Davis weighs 235 pounds at weakside linebacker, the same position Thompson would be suited for.
The drafting of Thompson not only came as a surprise to the NFL world, but to many fans, as well. But any true Carolina fan should know by now that general manager Dave Gettleman isn't afraid to take a player or position that others view as odd.
Gettleman did the very same last year, taking wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin in the first round when nearly everybody and their brother were screaming for the Panthers to take an offensive tackle. In fact, Carolina never drafted one.
Even so, it's safe to say that Benjamin, who was projected as a second-round pick by most, worked out rather nicely.
With that said, Carolina has to address the offense with at least two of its next three picks. A wide receiver and lineman are needed in the worst of ways.
But considering that it's Gettleman making the picks, don't be surprised if a defensive end is taken with one of the next two picks on Friday. He admittedly loves defensive linemen.
Follow Brett Jensen on Twitter at @BrettJensenFOX
