Thompson, Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis are absolute givens, but what roles they will play are not (other than Kuechly at middle linebacker). Davis has been dominant at weakside linebacker the last couple of seasons but also has vast experience on the strong side. Thompson suggested at his introductory press conference that he might start out on the weak side, but in defensive coordinator Sean McDermott's system, the distinction between weak side and strong side isn't necessarily that important. Either way, we know that Davis will flank Kuechly while Thompson will be given every chance to contribute. Don't forget about 2013 fifth-round pick A.J. Klein and 2014 undrafted rookie Adarius Glanton, who have both started multiple games on the strong side last season. Mayo was a tackling machine in college with abilities that should transfer well to special teams, though he didn't play special teams at Texas State the past three seasons. He may need to prove his worth there in his battle for a roster spot because others in the position group include offseason acquisition Jason Trusnik – who has 76 career special teams tackles – as well as 2014 special teams tackle leader Ben Jacobs. To boot, linebacker Kevin Reddick had a big fumble recovery on special teams in last year's NFC Wild Card playoff victory over the Arizona Cardinals.