Woof, woof? For first time in program history, 3 former UW players selected in first round of NFL Draft

CHICAGO -- For the first time in UW football program history, three Huskies were chosen in the first round of an NFL Draft Thursday night.

Defensive lineman Danny Shelton was expected to go in the first round of the 2015 draft. And, indeed, he was chosen with the No. 12 pick by the Cleveland Browns.

Only six picks later, former UW cornerback Marcus Peters -- who had been kicked off the team for behavioral issues -- was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs.

And then, in somewhat of a surprise, the Carolina Panthers selected former UW linebacker Shaq Thompson at No. 25 overall.

The 6-foot, 228-pound Thompson was the winner of the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation's most versatile player.

He scored six touchdowns in 2014 — four on defense and two as a running back. He even started at tailback against Colorado last year and ran for 174 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and caught two passes for 41 yards.

Thompson had 3.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and five fumble recoveries in 40 games at Washington.

Thompson was also drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 18th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, but wound up playing football.