Shaq

Someone explain this shit to me, please. Linebackers are where we kick ass, yet we draft another one and give the Bronx cheer to the OL, WR, DB, and RB positions.

 

It makes no sense. First off, the whole notion of taking a LB in the first round is stupid even though Thomas Davis lost a step and probably won't be a starter in 2016. He's a starter right now, while teams very rarely play with three linebackers any more because of all the 3+ wide receiver formations. Secondly, Shaq just isn't special. Watch some tape of him standing around during a play. He doesn't understand where the ball is or where he should be going, he just stands there until he sees the guy with the ball and then reacts. Plus, he's not even impressively explosive when he finally does move. The guy's not strong, he's not fast, and he's not instinctive. He is not another Thomas Davis despite the superficial similarities.

 

Although I guess the spread stuff actually makes Shaq more appealing since he's somewhat versatile. He'll go into that hybrid role that Colin Jones was playing in McDermott's defense.

 

Gettleman got caught with his pants around his ankles when Arizona took Humphries and panicked. There is no logical explanation for this pick. Even the guys on CBS radio didn't know where he fits. A couple of them said he was going to be a Safety which makes no sense with Collins still sitting there.: Thompson can't even be said to be BPA.

 

Listening to him on the radio, he's a fucking idiot too.

 

No, Thompson was clearly the plan all along. If they had expected Humphries then they would have gone with some other first round talent. Every service had Thompson rated in the second or third round, which strongly indicates that the Panthers simply liked him a lot more than anyone else. When you think about how much Colin Jones played down the stretch, the pick becomes understandable. Not necessarily defensible, as Thompson is not a first round talent, but understandable. That's the role they want him to fill and as Purrsy said, they developed a crush on Thompson's perceived ability to fill it.

 

At 6'0" 225 lbs Thompson's future isn't at OLB. Gettleman screwed the pooch with this one. He would have been there in the 2nd if not 3rd. Why not trade down? That would have at least made more sense and added a pick or two.

 

My breakdown:


Who is Shaq Thompson:
Shaq is a complete zero against the run. The only thing he is good for on a running play is staying upright to occupy one of the blockers because he shows no ability to hold his ground or elude the person blocking him (vs OSU 1Q 14:14, vs OSU 1Q 13:30). He is typically not just neutralized but dominated by any offensive lineman and most tight ends. While this isn't particularly surprising for someone with his small stature, it's distressing that he shows no ability to use his hands or body positioning to disengage and go after the ball carrier (vs OSU 1Q 10:36, vs OSU 1Q 9:19). He is also prone to overpursuit and will give up potential cutback lanes (vs OSU 1Q 4:13) rather than recognizing when his teammates have a run sealed off and he needs to protect the back side.

He isn't much of a tackler, as he lacks the ability to punish receivers coming over the middle and typically settles for wrapping up their legs (vs OSU 1Q 4:38). While he doesn't miss many tackles, his lack of functional strength means that they usually gain additional yards after the catch before he can bring them down (vs OSU 3Q 10:21). At times he even appears scared of head-on contact, as he will either try to wrap up from the side (vs OSU 3Q 10:17) or pull up and hold the ball carrier rather than deliver a hit (vs OSU 2Q 1:20, vs OSU 3Q 2:59). That results in many occasions where Thompson is standing near the tackle at the end of the play and thus may appear to be involved, yet he didn't actually do much before the whistle was blown (vs OSU 3Q 9:40).

Unfortunately Thompson is also not an instinctual player in coverage. He is very passive while sitting in his zone or waiting for his man responsibility to come downfield (vs OSU 1Q 4:38), then only reacts once the pass is being delivered (vs OSU 4Q 2:55). He is consistently fooled by even poor play-action fakes, as he takes a couple of steps forward on the snap before trying to get back into position (vs OSU 4Q 11:28, vs OSU 1Q 8:40). He shows poor technique in coverage against tight ends, letting them set him up with a fake to the outside before cutting underneath him (vs OSU 4Q 2:11) when he should be the one playing underneath to take away the easy pass. There were many times where such lapses allowed his man to get open but the Washington pass rush either prevented the quarterback from taking advantage or the college passers simply didn't notice the opportunity the way that their NFL brethren undoubtedly will.

Shaq looks his best when closing down a receiver who has his back turned while waiting for the pass and is a sitting duck for an easy hit (vs OSU 4Q 10:39), but when the receiver has the opportunity to make a move then Thompson is easily faked and runs by ineffectively (vs OSU 4Q 6:44). He does react well to screens, being able to recognize the blockers coming forward and using open space to elude them (vs OSU 4Q 5:16, vs OSU 2Q 1:20) in a way he can't on running plays.


Verdict:
This is a bizarre choice at #25 that I cannot understand or defend. I understand the desire to have a SS/OLB hybrid who is more versatile than Colin Jones was in that role down the stretch last season, but whereas Jones is useless in coverage and solid against the run, Thompson is useless against the run and only solid in coverage. It's fine to take someone who doesn't have typical size or strength if they possess outstanding explosiveness or instincts, but Shaq has none of those. Junior Sylvestre of Toledo is a very similar player who I like better than Thompson who probably won't get drafted until Sunday.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEgpAnhTzuw


I thought this was a pretty good assessment of the good and bad.