Lions can make up for missing the first time by adding a player who has been a perfect fit since the NFL Combine
Now’s the chance to get it right
Back in February, AtoZ Sports Detroit was at the 2025 NFL Combine. After talking with players and getting to know all the draft prospects there, we walked away with a few players whom we mocked to the Lions multiple times: Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein and LSU’s Miles Fraizer.
Those players’ fit made a lot of sense. Still, there was one guy who we had at the tippy top of our fits for the Lions, and that was Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul Jr. We believed the fit made so much sense that we guaranteed he’d be drafted by the Lions.
The Lions met with Paul multiple times. They had a formal meeting at the combine in Indianapolis, attended his Pro Day, and met with him at the Shrine Bowl in Arlington. When the 2025 NFL Draft rolled around, the Lions traded up into the fifth round for the 171st pick and selected Fraizer. One pick later, the Rams took Paul.
On Tuesday, the Rams shocked everyone by waiving Paul during final cutdowns. It shocked Rams fans to the point where they were actually mad about it. It’s not like his play was bad in the preseason. He played pretty well, and the Rams used him quite a bit. Now he’s on the waiver wire, and the Lions would be wise to claim him.
Do the Lions need a middle linebacker right now? No, not really. This is one of the best, if not the best, linebacker groups in the NFL. The thing I liked about Paul on the field is that he’s versatile. He can play on the inside and outside, while showing pass-rush ability. He also has sideline-to-sideline range, like Derrick Barnes.
The other thing is that Alex Anzalone won’t be around much longer. The Lions are likely to make Jack Campbell one of the highest-paid linebackers in the league, and with the extensions for Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, Brian Branch, and Sam LaPorta, they might not be able to keep Malcolm Rodriguez, who is in the final year of his deal.
The last thing is, he’s a real culture fit for Detroit. This answer to one of our combine questions really highlights that.
“So I had a formal with them Monday night, and it went pretty good, and the thing that stood out to me was they wanted to learn about me as a person, they wanted to learn about who I was off the field, and that’s important to me because I’m big on bonds. I like building bonds on and off the field. If I can build a bond off the field, then I’m going to fight for you each and every Sunday, and learning about someone off the field really shows you a lot and shows someone’s character that way. As well as that person’s why. Why are you here? Why are you standing here? So yeah, that’s something that stood out to me, but yeah, we sat down and talked football and dove deep into that knowledge and things and understanding concepts.”
We’ll see what happens this week, but the fit is just too good. The guy even has a tattoo of a Lion on his arm. It was meant to be.
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