Commanders finish draft by acquiring an O-lineman and a corner originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
To complete the third Ron Rivera-led draft and the first under the Commanders moniker, Washington selected an offensive lineman and a cornerback in Saturday's seventh round.
With the 230th selection in the event, Rivera chose Tulsa tackle/guard Chris Paul. Then, at No. 240, the organization finished up its class with Oklahoma State defensive back Christian Holmes.
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One of Rivera's most cherished traits is positional flex, and Paul definitely checks off that box. During his collegiate career, he logged 17 starts at right tackle, 12 at left guard, eight at right guard and one at left tackle. For someone who'll have to make it in the NFL as a depth piece initially, that all-over background could be very valuable.
No word yet on how he is as a point guard, though (sorry, it's been a long three days and that low-hanging fruit was too easy to forgo).
Holmes, meanwhile, began his time at school at Missouri before transferring to Oklahoma State in 2020. Overall, he intercepted three passes in the NCAA and deflected 28 throws across the two stops.
Over the past three days, the Commanders have welcomed in eight new players. Here's each selection listed by round, overall draft selection, position and school.
| Round | Overall | Name | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Jahan Dotson | WR | Penn State |
| 2 | 47 | Phidarian Mathis | DT | Alabama |
| 3 | 98 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | Alabama |
| 4 | 113 | Percy Butler | S | Louisiana |
| 5 | 144 | Sam Howell | QB | North Carolina |
| 5 | 149 | Cole Turner | TE | Nevada |
| 7 | 230 | Chris Paul | OL | Tulsa |
| 7 | 240 | Christian Holmes | CB | Oklahoma State |
Perhaps even more telling? Every one of this year's picks, with the exception of Howell, is a rising senior. Howell, the lone junior, started all three years at North Carolina.
