The Los Angeles Rams have made it a habit of finding Day Three stars recently, and they found another during the 2025 NFL Draft
The Los Angeles Rams trading off first round draft picks has become a hilarious meme over the last few years. General manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay have prioritized their winning window, mortgaging that draft capital for proven impact veterans like quarterback Matthew Stafford and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. What is lost when talking […]
The Los Angeles Rams trading off first round draft picks has become a hilarious meme over the last few years. General manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay have prioritized their winning window, mortgaging that draft capital for proven impact veterans like quarterback Matthew Stafford and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. What is lost when talking about the Rams program is how consistently that scouting department has hit on Day Three values during that stretch.
During Snead's tenure, he has hit on many Day Three draft picks. Names like Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, John Johnson III, and Jordan Fuller are some players that quickly come to mind. Viewed as Day Three dart throws at the time, each proved to be very valuable members of this Los Angeles franchise. When you sacrifice that early draft capital, you have to supplement
It appears that the Rams may have hit the jackpot during the 2025 NFL Draft again when they selected former Ole Miss star linebacker Chris Paul Jr., who goes by his nickname Pooh. The fifth round draft pick began his career at Arkansas, and was a stellar performer racking up 137 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and six sacks in three seasons. While Paul was a good player for the Razorbacks, he became a tremendous one with the Rebels during his lone season.
On a defense with loads of NFL talent, Paul constantly flashed, seeing the No. 11 fly all over the field. During that one year, he led the team with 88 total tackles, while also collecting 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one interception. Despite having one year of eligibility remaining, Paul decided to enter the 2025 class and chase his NFL dream.
When you pop on Paul's film, there is a ton to get excited about. He possesses sideline to sideline range to make plays working to the sideline. Paul is also a strong tackler, not missing many tackles in space. What really separates him, however, is the mental side of his game. The talented linebacker is one of those players who just always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
So why did Paul fall all the way until the fifth round? The short answer is his size. With below average arm length and bulk, many have overlooked Paul throughout the process. As the Rams have shown, they are okay with taking advantage of other people's mistakes. Paul feels like the next great success story for their evaluation department,
Omar Speights showed a lot of good things as a rookie in 2024. Outside of him, the Rams will have a linebacker battle with the likes of Troy Reeder and Nate Landman, which isn't the most ideal group of candidates. Don't be surprised if Paul surprises some folks and has a big impact as a rookie. Counting out a player like Paul feels like a massive mistake.
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