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Reviewing Ron Rivera’s first-round draft history with the Panthers

By Jacob Camenker

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter in the game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 24, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter in the game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 24, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 03: Dion Lewis #33 of the Tennessee Titans is tackled by Shaq Thompson #54 of the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 03, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 03: Dion Lewis #33 of the Tennessee Titans is tackled by Shaq Thompson #54 of the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 03, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

2015: LB Shaq Thompson

This was somewhat similar to the Luke Kuechly pick. Once again, the Panthers didn’t necessarily need a linebacker. They already had Kuechly and Davis while A.J. Klein was set to be the third starter for the team.

But in the first round of the draft, Thompson was among the best players on the board. And Rivera opted to strengthen an already-strong position and further solidify his front seven.

Thompson was one of the first hybrid safety/linebackers to come into the NFL and have a chance to play either position. The Panthers viewed him as more of a linebacker, and there were certainly hopes that he would help the team out in a coverage role and as a solid tackle.

So far during his career, Thompson has been a good starter for the Panthers. He has played in exactly 14 regular-season games in each of his five years in the league and has averaged about 71 tackles and two sacks per season with the team. However, he hasn’t been as much of a playmaker in coverage as the team hoped; he has just one career pick and 12 pass defenses during his career.

Still, the Panthers liked him enough to give him a four-year, $54 million extension. So obviously, they like some of what he’s doing.

Thompson falls more into the Lotulelei category of being a solid role player, but he’s not a true star. A case could be made that the Panthers should’ve targeted Landon Collins, Byron Jones, or Damarious Randall to play at safety, a bigger position of need, but hindsight is always 20/20. And Thompson has had longevity in Carolina, so that counts for something.

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