Ole Miss star viewed as most polarizing linebacker in 2025 NFL Draft as analysts debate where he will be selected
Beyond having the same name as NBA star Chris Paul, Chris Paul Jr. has created his own path to being a solid top-150 overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class. The Ole Miss star broke out after transferring from Arkansas before the 2024 season. He finished his lone campaign under Lane Kiffin with 88 […]
Beyond having the same name as NBA star Chris Paul, Chris Paul Jr. has created his own path to being a solid top-150 overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class. The Ole Miss star broke out after transferring from Arkansas before the 2024 season. He finished his lone campaign under Lane Kiffin with 88 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one interception.
Paul is fighting a top-heavy class of peers, and where exactly he stands remains a bit of a question. There are split opinions out there, including on the A to Z Sports staff.
NFL Draft analyst Ryan Roberts remains a bit higher on Paul, having him currently ranked as his No. 1 linebacker in the class. I, in comparison, have him pegged as the No. 5 linebacker of the group. Here is a case for both sides.
Case for Chris Paul Jr. being drafted earlier
Paul is a fascinating conversation. He is, in my opinion, the best processor of any linebacker in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Paul is a tremendous athlete, showcasing enough explosiveness and range to make plays working toward the sideline.
He is very smooth, and is comfortable working in space both in the run and pass game. There is an easy evaluation as a starting WILL on the next level, and his game is pretty reminiscent of Dre Greenlaw, who has been one of the most underrated NFL linebackers in recent years.
The negatives with Paul center around his size. He has a smaller wingspan, and it’s not the biggest linebacker in terms of bulk. Despite that, Paul plays with enough physicality to get off of blocks. Despite those shorter arms, Paul doesn’t miss a ton of tackles. You don’t want to make a living betting on outliers, but Paul is one I would bet on every single time.
Case against Chris Paul Jr. being drafted earlier
I like Paul, and think Ryan did a nice job outlining why he'll likely last a long time in the NFL as an average stopgap starter. But a lot of his negatives fit the exact mold of those who never really make a big impact on their defensive units beyond being a good tackler.
Paul's size isn't even a big issue for me, as his minuscule missed tackle rate is highly impressive. But it's his lack of passing game production and average athleticism for the position. While his tape is good, he's far from an asset in two key areas of what separates the players who bounce from team to team on one-year deals from guys like Greenlaw.
Paul allowed 81.2% of targets to be completed throughout his career while notching only five pass breakups and one interception on 69 attempts. While he's a fluid mover with good speed, he's not so freakishly explosive that he can justify being a three-down player at 220 pounds.
His pass-rush production is steadier and more encouraging. Despite being good on stunts and delayed blitzes, defensive coordinators will only be able to unleash him this way because of his light frame. He graded as a quality pass rusher in two of three years with PFF, totaling 53 pressures in that span.
I just don't see enough to believe he'll ever be more than someone who is fine but uninspiring. It's extremely hard to be a great NFL linebacker who gets a big second contract. I don't see Paul having the build and multi-dimensional game to get there.
