NFL Draft results 2015: Carolina Panthers take Shaq Thompson with No. 25 pick

By Patrick Schmidt | Apr 30, 2015

Jan 2, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies linebacker Shaq Thompson (7) against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2015 Cactus Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium. Oklahoma State defeated Washington 30-22. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

With the No. 25 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft the Carolina Panthers Washington Huskies linebacker Shaq Thompson, but was that a mistake?

The Carolina Panthers hit a home run with last year’s first round pick when they took Kelvin Benjamin out of Florida State and all he did was catch 73 passes for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. He was one of three rookies with more than 1,000 yards as he and former No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton look like a great combination for the next decade.

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Carolina can only hope this year’s No. 1 pick is as productive as Benjamin or Newton. When the Panthers were on the clock at No. 25 they took Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson. He is a versatile player who was as good of a running back in college as he was a linebacker.

He is undersized at 6-1 and 228 pounds and could be converted to safety in the future, but Thomas Davis should help ease his transition to the NFL. It was mildly surprising considering the other players on the board and Thompson not projected to crack the first round by most talent evaluators.

Thompson is a great special teams player who will contribute there immediately and on dime and nickel situations as a linebacker, but I wonder if he’ll be able to play linebacker on first and second downs. It may be a luxury pick but let’s see what Ron Rivera and his staff are able to do with him, because he’s shown the ability to make plays all over the field in college.

Next: Every NFL Team's Best Draft Pick of All-Time

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