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Losing linebacker Dre Greenlaw in free agency created an uptick in urgency for the San Francisco 49ers to find a new long-term starter at Will linebacker alongside LB Fred Warner.
They could look internally for replacements with Dee Winters, Tatum Bethune and Jalen Graham already on the roster, but it might behoove them to find a player through the draft. San Francisco is hosting University of Mississippi LB Chris Paul Jr. on a pre-draft visit according to New York Upstate's Ryan Talbot.
Paul is a little undersized at 6-1, 222 pounds, but that hasn't mattered for the 49ers in the past with their LB picks. What matters more is that Paul is a good athlete, but his size does show up when offensive linemen get to the second level and he struggles to shed those blocks.
However, he's quick, plays sideline-to-sideline, and shows off good instincts to slip past blockers and make plays all over the field in the run game. They key will be whether he can play in coverage at the next level, which is a requirement for the WLB in the 49ers' defense. Paul may not quite be there on Day 1, but his athleticism indicates there's some upside for him there.
In four college seasons (three at Arkansas and one at Ole Miss), Paul played in 40 games and racked up 225 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one interception and five pass breakups.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers to have pre-draft visit with potential Dre Greenlaw replacement
Continue reading...
They could look internally for replacements with Dee Winters, Tatum Bethune and Jalen Graham already on the roster, but it might behoove them to find a player through the draft. San Francisco is hosting University of Mississippi LB Chris Paul Jr. on a pre-draft visit according to New York Upstate's Ryan Talbot.
Paul is a little undersized at 6-1, 222 pounds, but that hasn't mattered for the 49ers in the past with their LB picks. What matters more is that Paul is a good athlete, but his size does show up when offensive linemen get to the second level and he struggles to shed those blocks.
However, he's quick, plays sideline-to-sideline, and shows off good instincts to slip past blockers and make plays all over the field in the run game. They key will be whether he can play in coverage at the next level, which is a requirement for the WLB in the 49ers' defense. Paul may not quite be there on Day 1, but his athleticism indicates there's some upside for him there.
In four college seasons (three at Arkansas and one at Ole Miss), Paul played in 40 games and racked up 225 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one interception and five pass breakups.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers to have pre-draft visit with potential Dre Greenlaw replacement
Continue reading...
