It may have been one of the worst-kept secrets about Los Angeles Rams fans that they were eager for the team to draft an upgrade for the inside linebacker position. The team understood that when Ernest Jones IV was traded away, the team also traded away the team's leading tackler. Complicating matters further, the makeshift starting duo of Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder was ineffective.
Both struggled at stuffing the run. Both struggled to wrap up and to make tackles. But it was horrifyingly clear that both struggled to shed blockers without getting pancaked. The defense did not step up until veteran ILB Troy Reeder fell to injury, and the team had no other choice but to promote undrafted rookie ILB prospect Omar Speights. Speights performed better than expected, but he was a bit inexperienced.
Recognizing the miscues that set the defense on its heels early in the 2024 NFL season, the team strategically planned to make subtle but significant changes. Rather than announcing to the entire NFL that the Rams were upgrading the defense by investing in a multi-million dollar contract or an early pick into the position, the Rams signed a solid veteran inside linebacker in Nate Landman. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Landman brings a bit more 'oomph' to the heart of the Rams defense, and packages that with a bit more experience.
All that remains is for the team to pair him up with the best complementary partner.
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?
When the Los Angeles Rams entered Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft, they were a bit behind schedule. You know that the team entered the three-day event armed with one pick on Day 1, two picks on Day 2, and five picks on Day 3. But as it so happened, the team traded a Day 1 (Round 1) and a Day 2 (Round 3) picks to the Atlanta Falcons for picks in Round 2 (TE Terrance Ferguson), Round 7 (which would eventually select WR Konata Mumpfield), and a Round 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
And then, the impossible happened. The Rams traded up for the third consecutive time to select Ole Miss rookie ILB prospect Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr. in Round 5 with the 172nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. But was it too much, too little, too late?
Not from everything that we read after he was selected.
Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr. may have fallen to the latter part of Round 5, but he was projected to come off the board as early as Day 2, and for good reason. He is a jack-of-all-trades, a general contractor who can do anything a coach can ask of a linebacker, and do it well. He is the type of linebacker who provides pass coverage that rivals that of a defensive back, the thump of a defensive lineman, the pass rush of an outside linebacker, and the range of a safety.
But it all starts with the team looking for a sure-handed tackler. So, let's start there, too. Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr. was one of the most noteworthy tacklers among drafted ILBs in the 2025 NFL Draft, something that certainly attracted the Rams to select him.
New Rams ILB Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr. was the most efficient tackler among drafted ILBs last season.
— Wyatt Miller (@wymill07) April 28, 2025
He had the best stop rate (a tackle constituting an unsuccessful play for the offense) and missed tackle rate among the 19 players drafted at his position. pic.twitter.com/QOcdpGlMpS
While only listed at 6-foot-0 and 222 pounds, Paul makes up for a lack of size with explosive speed and agility. He timed at 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which is faster than Rams RB Kyren Williams. He matches that speed with incredible acceleration, allowing him to be in the right position to make a play before the ball carrier ever gets there.
In his final season with Mississippi, Paul recorded 88 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 3.5 quarterback sacks, one interception, four pass deflections, and one fumble recovery. And because he is both fast and elusive, he instantly projects as a star on special teams in coverage units.
Ironically, Rams fans wanted an inside linebacker to be selected by the team no later than Round 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. As it turns out, the team did add a Day 2 inside linebacker, but found him in Round 5 of the draft.
On many draft boards, Chris 'Pooh' Paul Jr. was among the top five inside linebackers available in the 2025 NFL Draft. Will that be enough to assure Rams fans that the team is back on track on the defensive side of the football?
It’s not even training camp but Rams already have a fledgling new fan favorite. And once fans see how hard Chris 'Pooh' Paul Jr. plays while wearing jersey number 54, they will love him. Keep him on your radar, because he is a good one.
As always, thanks for reading.