Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is a man known to covet versatility.
Luckily for him, the 2015 NFL Draft just so happens to boast one of the most athletically gifted and versatile defensive prospects the league has ever seen.
Former Washington Huskies linebacker - also running back and just a bit of safety - Shaq Thompson is a man seemingly without a set position at the NFL level. Some, including NFL Network's Mike Mayock, believe his professional future is as a strong safety, while Thompson himself has been adamant that he'd like to stay a linebacker.
Despite that potential knock teams, and more specifically, the Seahawks, are reportedly high on his impact playmaking ability.
"One team to watch if Washington LB/S Shaq Thompson begins to freefall: Seahawks. Seattle has 11 picks and really covets his versatility," Ross Jones of FOX Sports tweeted.
"#Seahawks love players who can play multiple positions. Thompson could be used to back up Kam Chancellor, play nickel LB on passing downs," Jones added.
Thompson, 6-foot, 228-pounds, is currently projected to go somewhere in the second-to-third-round range but is very much a "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" type prospect and thus could land nearly anywhere.
"Long, twitchy athlete with outstanding range to become a highly restrictive defender," writes NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "Able to make plays well outside of his area against both the run and pass. With his big-play potential, Thompson could become a unique chess piece in the hands of the right defensive coordinator."
Thompson finished last season for the Huskies with 80 tackles, one sack, one interception, three fumble returns and two fumbles forced. He also added 456 yards and two touchdowns rushing and 56 yards receiving.
Should the Seahawks actually nab Thompson, it wouldn't be the first time the Seahawks spent a fairly high selection on an athletic marvel with boom-or-bust potential who wound up impacting the team mostly as a key secondary element.
Bruce Irvin, the team's first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, has appeared in 43 games in his three-year career but has never posted more than 40 tackles or 8 sacks in a season.
He's a good player and he provides a specific contribution to the Seahawks vaunted defense, but he has yet to become the type of force opposing offenses must scheme to stop.
Yes, Irvin still has immense potential and if last season's all-around production is any indication - 37 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and two interceptions - he could very well be rounding into form for Seattle.
If brought on-board, Thompson may potentially be able to follow a similar path for Carroll and the Seahawks defensive unit, adding yet another playmaker to the backend with the innate talent to become much, much more given time to develop.
