Rams Gem of a Pick May Have an Immediate Impact

The Los Angeles Rams and Les Snead continued to build their talented defense through the draft. After adding several key contributors in last year's draft, they may have done so again this year with the selection of linebacker Chris Paul Jr.

Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Network thinks Paul is a rookie who could compete for and win a starting position with their respective team.

"The Rams may have gotten a steal in Chris Paul Jr. in the fifth round. He was the 83rd-ranked player on PFF’s big board and could steal a starting role after his breakout 2024 season at Ole Miss," Wasserman said.

Daniel Harms of the Draft Network noted that Paul "is at his best in coverage, where he can showcase his oily, loose hips and mirror the quarterback's eyes. He is functional in both man and zone coverage, but his willingness to follow the quarterback when he gets out of the pocket causes him to vacate responsibility too frequently. He doesn’t have the best hands to create turnovers, but he can quickly break up passes and cover ground," Harms said.

"He has the speed to cover running backs and some receivers, and the willingness to man up tight ends, although he will lose the size battle there. His click and close gets him downhill against screens and backs in the flat. However, his tackling angles, undercutting blocks, and poor positioning give ball carriers too much space. Keeping outside leverage and more patience will help create more negative plays for the offense. He doesn’t have a pass rush plan or many tools, but he’s a great blitzer in a free lane with the upside to spy the quarterback."

Still, the Rams have a solid linebacker option who could one day develop into a significant contributor. If Paul could solidify one of the Rams' linebacker positions, one of the best rosters in the league would be even better.

"Paul is a great athlete who continues to learn and diagnose better as he gains experience. He’s a good coverage linebacker with ascending traits against the run, but his length and size will be problematic against NFL offensive blockers. He projects best as an NFL WILL linebacker/coverage linebacker with the upside of being an every-down player," Harms said.

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