Chris Paul Jr. Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Justin Ford/Getty Images)
School: Ole Miss
Class: Redshirt Junior
Position: LB
HT: 6’1
WT: 222 lbs
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Background: Chris Paul Jr. is not the son of NBA legend, Chris Paul. However, he was a 3-star recruit out of Cordele, Georgia. Paul was a top 800 player nationally in the class of 2021 for Crisp County High School. Paul played both linebacker and running back for Crispy County. Paul helped his team reach the state title game as a sophomore. Chris Paul Jr. committed to play for Arkansas over Tennessee, Nebraska, Louisville, and others.
College: In 3 seasons for Arkansas, Paul appeared in 28 games with 11 starts. He was a 2022 All-Freshman SEC selection and All-American Freshman. Ahead of the 2024 season, Paul transferred to Ole Miss. Paul was an All-SEC First Team selection and a Third Team All-American. He recorded 11 TFLs and 88 total tackles for the Rebels.
Strengths: Chris Paul Jr. is a weakside linebacker with plenty of spunk to make plays all over the field. Paul is a rangy linebacker with excellent movement skills that allow him to get sticky in coverage against running backs and tight ends. He stays in phase with his matchup in man coverage when going from backpedal to sprint. In zone coverage, his ranginess is displayed as he takes up the entire middle area of the field. He has the ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and put himself in the best position to make a play. He diagnoses different offensive sets and schemes quickly, allowing himself to make a play. Paul Jr. is prolific as a run defender. He squeezes through gaps without slowing his rush to make a play in the backfield. He wins with speed and a penetration style of pursuit to get low at the point of attack. Paul is an efficient tackler as he is able to bring down the ball carrier on his own in open space.
Weaknesses: Paul is undersized, which could lead to some problems against NFL tight ends. Run fits in the NFL will be much more difficult to execute and the gaps to squeeze through will be smaller. His lack of size can lead to him being displaced in the run game. He tends to get bumped off the line with a strong initial punch from linemen.
Conclusion: Chris Paul Jr. is a rangy and dynamic athlete. While he is undersized, the value of size as a weakside linebacker is overstated. He has a very clear path to success: use coverage instincts and athleticism to be a reliable coverage linebacker while continuing to be a penetration style gap rusher in the run game. His size may cause him to lose his reps but his range and movement skills will more than make up for it.
Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile
Ideal Role: Weakside LB
Best Team Fits: BAL, PHI, MIA
Player Comparison: Ivan Pace Jr.
Player Grade: Round 3 (72.3)
