With 54 days until the the Panthers opener that means we are here to discuss LB Shaq Thompson. Shaq ThompsonLB Carolina Panthers Hats , No. 54Height: 6’0”Weight: 230 lbsAge: 24Born: 4/21/1994 Sacramento, CACollege: WashingtonExperience: 4th seasonHigh School: Grant Union HS [Sacramento, CA]Thompson is penciled in yet again as the starter next to Pro Bowlers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis. Thompson has all the physical gifts to be a Pro Bowl player and certainly has plenty of starting experience as well. So I am expecting Thompson to take a big leap this season. He will get a chance to shine right out of the gate.As you know Thomas Davis was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for failing a drug test. As a result we need Thompson to make this leap right out of the gate. He most likely will get a chance to play Davis’ WLB position, the position he seems best suited for given his play speed. These first four games (Cowboys Carolina Panthers Hoodie , @Falcons, Bengals, Giants) will give us a preview of what the WLB position will look like past Davis’ (35) career, which I hope still has at least a couple seasons. Fun FactThompson was a star performer in baseball and track in college. He was also one of the highest rated prospects in the country coming out of high school.While he apparently plateaued early in baseball he has not done that in football. It’s going to be hard for any LB to shine when playing next to Luke Kuechly but I think Thompson will measure up in 2018.Keep pounding. The Carolina Panthers have been awarded the No. 16 pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft after finishing the 2018 season with a 7-9 record Customized Carolina Panthers Jerseys , the team announced tonight.For those wondering what type of player a team can get at No. 16 overall, here are the last five players taken with the No. 16 pick in the draft:2018 — LB Tremaine Edmunds (BUF)2017 — CB Marlon Humphrey (BAL)2016 — OT Taylor Decker (DET)2015 — CB Kevin Johnson (HOU)2014 — G Zack Martin (DAL)I know what you’re thinking right now. You think that the Panthers blew a great opportunity to draft the next big thing with a top-ten pick. I’m here to tell you that the sky is not falling and the world isn’t coming to an end just because the Panthers beat the Saints earlier today. Drafting No. 16 overall will still give the Panthers a chance to draft a great player, and while a first round player will certainly help, the Panthers are more than one top-ten pick away from being a premier team again.I know it doesn’t seem like it now www.authenticscarolinapanthers.com , but it’s gonna be okay y’all.The Panthers have plenty of needs and will try to address some of them with their 2019 draft class. Now that we know where they will pick in the draft we can begin to speculate on the players they will choose. Stay tuned to CSR for plenty of draft coverage throughout the offseason, as we’ll take a look at potential draft picks at various positions of need over the next several months.
