Shaq Thompson to Visit the Colts

Just 25 days from today, the 2015 NFL Draft will kick off from Chicago with the first round, and so over the next few weeks the 32 NFL teams will continue to look into a number of draft hopefuls as potential targets for the team.  The Indianapolis Colts are doing this as well, and they are certainly taking advantage of their allocated visit opportunities with prospects.

One such player that will visit the Colts before the draft is Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson.  Writing a draft diary for the USA Today, Thompson said that he has already had workouts with the Texans and Browns and has workouts scheduled with the Panthers and Falcons.  In addition, Thompson wrote that he has visits lined up to go meet with the Cowboys, Vikings, and Colts.

Thompson wrote that most teams have told him that they see him as a weakside linebacker, and that is where he wants to play the most.  Another option for him, however, is at strong safety.  The position that he said he won't play is running back, which he did occasionally at Washington.

In three seasons at Washington, he played in 40 games and recorded 233 tackles (15 tackles for loss), 3.5 sacks, 16 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns).  He also carried the ball 61 times for 456 yards and two touchdowns (7.5 yards per carry) and caught 4 passes for 56 yards.  Furthermore, he returned two punts (for eight yards) and two kickoffs (for 46 yards) in his time at Washington.  Ultimately, the 6-1, 228 pound defender who was named a first-team All-American by a number of different media outlets in 2014 had a very versatile but productive collegiate career.  He's looking to carry that on to the NFL, and that would most likely be at linebacker.

For the Colts, Thompson would be an intriguing pick, as it gives them a guy who can be a bit of a mix between a linebacker and a strong safety and could provide a solid boost to their defense.  The question that needs to be asked is where Thompson would play for Indy, and it sounds like they are interested in looking into Thompson more, as he will visit Indianapolis before the draft to talk with the Colts' management.