INDIANAPOLIS -- Where in the world will Shaq Thompson play as a pro?
That was the question many NFL scouts, front office executives and media members were asking the Washington star as he was put through the paces at the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend.
Thompson was listed as a linebacker and performed drills at that position Sunday. A number of teams requested that he go through running back workouts, and all 28 players that had received a request to work out at a second position went through abbreviated workouts at that second position, NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt reported. Thompson might be an athlete without a position, but it appears that at least two NFL teams think he'll fit best at safety in the pros.
Per Brandt:
Those teams are not alone. NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock ranks Thompson as a safety and the second-best player at the position in this draft.
Thompson started his college career at safety as a five-star recruit out of high school but bulked up and moved to linebacker. After a number of injuries in the offensive backfield, Huskies coaches moved him to running back in 2014 for several games and Thompson ended up finishing the season fourth on the team in rushing.
"I'm gonna put it out there that I want to play linebacker. But I can't say no to (safety)," Thompson said Friday. "I like to be up by the line of scrimmage. I feel like I'm physical enough. I'm not the biggest guy, but I have a lot of heart."
One of the biggest reasons NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah does not list Thompson among his top 50 players is because of the uncertainty about his position, but his showing in Indianapolis might start to make things clearer on that front for both the player and NFL teams.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
