53 Men: LB Shaq Thompson Player Profile
LB Shaq Thompson
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 230 lbs
College: Washington
NFL stats: 356 tackles, 29 TFL, 20 QB Hits, 9.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, one interception
Depth Chart Projection: Starter
Since his rookie year in 2015, Thompson has lived in a starting role and that won't be any different in 2020 or beyond. This offseason he signed a four-year, $54 million contract extension, so the Panthers are expecting big things out of him over the next few years.
Analysis:
From a football perspective, Thompson is one of the most underrated linebackers in the entire league. He is a tackling machine and has extremely good instincts. The one part of his game that he will have to add is leadership. He has great leadership skills, but the defense will need them now more than ever that Luke Kuechly is no longer on the roster. I'd like to see him create more negative plays, but really that's just me nitpicking because there's not much of his game that needs work - he's just about as polished as one can get.
53-Man Roster Status: Lock
Thompson will be the glue of the linebacking corps and the more plays he makes, the better this Panthers defense will be. With a very thin on experience linebacker unit, I would expect him to see the field on a high percentage of snaps.
Previous "53 Men" projections
No. 18 OG Michael Schofield III
What type of season do you expect from Shaq Thompson? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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