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Draft day is finally here and Washington has made their pick, Tulsa OG Chris Paul. Washington waited until the 7th round to draft some depth for their offensive line. They lost All-Pro, franchise G Brandon Scherff in free agency, and also released Ereck Flowers during the offseason. They only signed Andrew Norwell, and are expected to make Wes Schweitzer the other starting guard. Paul joins a group or practice squaders and future contract guys that will compete with Saahdiq Charles for a backup role on the team.
Chris Paul has played both tackle and both guard spots during his time at Tulsa. The Commanders love positional versatility, and are probably hoping Paul can develop into a valuable backup like Schweitzer.
Ron Rivera loves athletic o-linemen. Chris Paul ran a 4.89 at 323lbs and a good short shuttle (possibly most important test for OL). Also has 33.65” arms. And reportedly really solid, high-character dude
— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) April 30, 2022
Chris Paul was drafted with pick 230 of round 7 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.46 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 71 out of 1298 OG from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/ON09BZCJZL #RAS #Commanders pic.twitter.com/HRmh6WofcG
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 30, 2022
As a redshirt freshman, Paul started eight games at right guard while playing in all 12 of the team’s games. The Houston product then started all 12 games at left guard in 2019 before moving to the right tackle spot as a junior. Paul was a second-team All-AAC pick in 2020, though he missed the team’s bowl game due to injury. Known for his leadership and community service, Paul was named to NCAA Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity in February 2021. His play again received all-conference notice as a senior, garnering honorable mention accolades for his play in 10 starts (one at left tackle and nine at right tackle) even though a knee injury cost him the final three games.
Washington’s draft picks:
Round 1(#16): Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
Round 2(#47): Phidarian Mathis, DL, Alabama
Round 3(#98): Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Alabama
Round 4(#113): Percy Butler, S, Louisiana
Round 5(#144): Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Round 5(#149): Cole Turner, TE, Nevada
Round 7(#230): Chris Paul, OG, Tulsa
Round 7(#240):