Cedric Thompson Selected by the Miami Dolphins in the Fifth Round of the NFL Draft!

Cedric Thompson was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday. The Dolphins selected Thompson with the 150th overall pick.   Thompson becomes the fourth  Gopher selected in the 2015 NFL Draft.  Thompson makes it back to back years that a Gopher secondary member was selected in the draft after Brock Vereen was taken by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round in 2014.

Thompson heads to the NFL after a fantastic senior season for the Gophers. He finished second  on the team in tackles after leading the Gophers in his junior season.  He was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after his performance against Purdue when Thompson bookended the game with interceptions. He is also a smart player, being named All-Academic Big Ten.

He joins a Dolphins defense that is steadily improving.  They signed Suh away from Detroit and will make a run for the AFC East titel.  Thompson should immediately have a chance to play his way into the lineup on special teams. He may not see the field as a safety much at first, but the Dolphins clearly identified him as a target, and Thomson has the drive and the ability to improve to surprise.   His path may be very similar to the one Vereen took last season for the Bears--lots of special teams playing time and the occasional insertion into the defensive backfield in nickel and dime packages.

Thompson joins fellow Gophers Maxx Williams--who was selected in the second round Friday night by the Baltimore Ravens, Damien Wilson selected in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys, and David Cobb who was selected in the fifth round by the Tennessee Titans as Gophers who have been drafted this weekend.  .Its the first time since 2006 that four Gophers have been selected in the draft!

Congrats Cedric from the entire The Daily Gopher Team!