Shaq Thompson Could Provide Versatility for Vikings Defense

With an aging Chad Greenway, outside linebacker is a big position of need for the Vikings. Fortunately there are three currently projected in the first round.

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But the one that has garnered the most attention around Minnesota is Shaq Thompson. A 6 foot, wide-ranging linebacker out of Washington, Thompson made 81 tackles, forced two fumbles and picked off a pass for the Huskies in 2014. He also averaged 7.5 yards per carry as a part-time back and played a huge role on special teams.

Here is NFL.com’s “bottom-line” review of Shaq Thompson:

"Long, twitchy 4-3 outside linebacker with outstanding range to become a highly restrictive defender able to make plays well outside of his area against both the run and pass. With his big-play potential, Thompson could become a unique chess piece in the hands of the right defensive coordinator. He can help on special teams right away and might start off as a sub-package player while he fills out his frame."

The Vikings seemed to have interest at the combine. Thompson met and spoke with Mike Zimmer, who recently mentioned the importance of versatility at the linebacker position.

He’s slightly undersized, but has drawn some comparisons to Troy Polamalu. The fact that he played running back and gained 456 yards this year is a big testament to his athleticism.

But would his combine results impress? Thompson measured in at 228 pounds, small for a linebacker. His 4.64 40 time was the seventh-best among linebackers, while short shuttle (4.07 seconds) and his 3-cone (6.99 seconds) ranked third-best and fourth-best, respectively.

The performance certainly didn’t vault him into the top-10. In fact, he dropped to the end of the first round on most big boards. But the Vikings could trade back for him if the choose not to pick him at 11.

Thompson also took snaps at safety in college, but said linebacker is the place for him.