2015 NFL Draft Grades After Week 10

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Sep 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) with the ball as Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Shaq Green-Thompson (54) defends in the fourth quarter. The Panthers defeated the Saints 27-22 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

<p>The Carolina Panthers won a playoff game so just based on that, they should be called contenders. Contenders don’t have a whole lot of needs so they can afford to get a developmental player. But by picking outide linebacker Shaq Thompson at No. 25 overall, they got a specialist while he’s developing.</p> <p>The part-time collegiate running back is a great athlete that’s already big-time in the Panthers’ sub-packages. He covers backs and tight ends well and has no problems making plays out in space. And despite the concerns about him being too light in the booty, he has no problems when teams run at him.</p> <p>He hasn’t made too many splash plays through 10 games but that’s not really the job of a 4-3 OLB. Thompson is probably 10-15 pounds away from being a perennial Pro Bowl player. So getting him as a specialist until he develops into that is a good pick for the Panthers.</p>. OLB. Carolina Panthers. SHAQ THOMPSON. A

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