The Pittsburgh Steelers have been on a tumultuous eight-year journey trying to find answers at the inside linebacker position. There are still some uncertainties at the position, and the Steelers could add another inside linebacker in the draft with good tackling skills and a high football IQ. Ole Miss LB Chris Paul Jr. could be that player.
In an interview at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine with our Ross McCorkle, Paul discussed what he’s going to bring to the team that drafts him.
“You’re gonna get somebody who’s really passionate,” said Paul. “Somebody who has been through a lot of obstacles and knows how to face adversity. Somebody who loves the game, a field general, a sideline to sideline player.”
Paul recorded 86 tackles in his senior season at Ole Miss, as well as 3.5 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. He was named to second-team All-SEC. He’s a great blitzer, tackler, and is good in zone coverage. Yet his best trait might be his leadership. Paul gets praised for his leadership, but he gives lots of credit to being a student of the game, modeling after NFL studs like current Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
“Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner, Roquan Smith, Patrick Queen, those guys who really just sit back and are students of the game. Their leaders on and off the field as well. They give back to the communities. Football isn’t just a game for them, it’s a lifestyle. I grew up in a small town in South Georgia, football to us it’s not just a game, it’s a lifestyle.”
While speed, tackling, and coverage are essential traits for inside linebackers, there’s also the responsibility of communication and signal calling. The “green dot” in the NFL is worn by the linebacker who’s equipped with a radio to communicate with the coaching staff, and essentially play the role of quarterback for the defense. Paul got the chance to experiment with that role last season.
“You have to be a field general. You have to be able to communicate and know what’s going on around you, to play fast and physical like I play. Last year was actually a great opportunity for college football as we were introduced to the green dot…It was a great opportunity for us to get reps at the green dot, become accustomed to it, get comfortable with it and learn the ways of it. I really enjoyed being the green dot, communication came through me. The guys looked at me for answers and that’s something I wanted to hear.”
Paul was certainly comfortable communicating with his teammates. Asked whether he trash talks opponents on the field, Paul instead mentioned his friendly banter with teammates during practice.
“I do [trash talk] sometimes just not necessarily on game day…versus my teammates. We just have that bond, you know, we like to mess with each other. It’s just like boys going at it each and every day…With your brothers, you’re going to trash talk a little bit, but it’s all fun and games at the end of the day.”
The Steelers are familiar with trash talk during practice, and head coach Mike Tomlin loves to instigate it. Tomlin trash talks his players and encourages them to dish it back, because he wants to ignite the fire inside his guys, especially on defense. Paul could fit in perfectly in the black-and-gold.
According to Paul, he talked with the Steelers at the East-West Shrine game. He said the interviews “went perfect.” It remains to be seen how the Steelers felt, but Paul is an intriguing mid-round option for the Steelers if they want to improve the depth of their linebacker room by adding an intelligent, passionate leader at the position.
Checkout our full analysis of Chris Paul Jr. here.
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