Could Paul’s athleticism help the Giants’ defense?
Fans of the New York Giants have plenty to complain about lately. But one subject conspicuously absent from complaints has been the linebacker position.
The Giants linebackers, notably Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden, have played very well over the last two years, and the position is a strength for the first time in nearly two decades. However, McFadden is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Giants may look to reinforce the second level of their defense.
Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul Jr. is an atheltic and versatile off-ball linebacker who’s coming into the NFL off a career year after transferring from Arkansas to Ole Miss for the 2024 season. Could he fill a similar role as McFadden should the latter leave via free agency?
Prospect: Chris Paul Jr. (11)
Games Watched: vs. LSU (2023, with Arkansas), vs. LSU (2024, with Ole Miss), vs. Arkansas (2024), vs. Georgia (2024
Red Flags: none
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-1 (estimated)
Weight: 235 (estimated)
Strengths
Best traits
- Athleticism
- Versatility
- Space play
- Competitive toughness
- Blitzing
Paul Jr. is an athletic and versatile off-ball linebacker. He has adequate size for a modern linebacker at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, and is a good athlete for the position.
Paul is a smooth, fluid mover in space and is easily able to change directions as well as cover ground when he has to turn and run. He’s agile and twitchy in coverage, moving more like a big safety than a linebacker, as well as explosive when he has to come downhill.
Ole Miss used Paul all over the second level of their defense, playing him inside and out, and as a strong and weak-side linebacker. He was also asked to defend the slot or play on the line of scrimmage on occasion. He generally takes an accurate first step toward the play and is faithful to his assignments.
Paul is able to fly to the ball once he diagnoses the play and often arrives with bad intentions. He’s also comfortable dropping into coverage, getting good depth in his zone drops and generally showing good recognition and communication in coverage. He’s capable of playing man coverage on tight ends and running backs, following them through their routes as well as running with them down the field – though he shouldn’t be asked to drop into man coverage with wide receivers.
Finally, Paul has upside as a blitzing linebacker. He generally times his rushes well and is able to use his athleticism to find open rushing lanes and challenge blockers with his speed.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Size
- Mental processing
Physically, Paul is an excellent athlete with good play strength for his size. However, he doesn’t have a large frame and can be disrupted by incidental contact as he navigates the trash around the line of scrimmage. That led to a couple missed tackles on tape, as last-second contact with a lineman shoved him off course. Likewise, while he can stack and shed blocks from offensive linemen when he makes first contact and maintains good technique, he can be swallowed up if they initiate contact.
Paul is also inconsistent in processing the offense. There are instances where he seems to bite too hard on misdirection or be a step slow in recognizing cut-backs. It’s possible that his faithfulness to his assignments and aggressiveness got the better of him at times, but teams will want to watch tape with him and put him on the whiteboard when they meet with him.
It isn’t a consistent flaw in his game, and there were fewer dips in his play speed as the season progressed.
Game Tape
(PaulJr. is the Ole Miss linebacker wearing number 11, with a white sleeve on his left calf )
Projection
Paul Jr. projects as an important rotational linebacker at the NFL level, who could potentially earn a starting job (or at least a significant share of the snaps) in the right situation.
He probably fits best as an outside linebacker in most defenses, and he should have “three down” versatility in the pros. However, given how teams use subpackages to combat modern offenses, Paul might not be an every down player. Teams might also be hesitant to use him as a middle linebacker due to potential concerns regarding his processing as well as his size taking on blocks.
That said, he has the potential to be an impact player in the right situation and is a constant presence around the ball when he’s able to play fast.
Does he fit the Giants?
Yes
Final Word: A later Day 2 value
