When the Seattle Seahawks selected Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft, the modest hope was they’d found a player who could help solidify the middle of their defense.
Instead, what they got was one of the greatest inside linebackers to ever play the game. Headed into his 14th season, Wagner is a Super Bowl champion, 11-time NFL All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler and has led the NFL in tackles 3 times — not to mention being a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Wagner has also become the NFL’s ageless wonder on defense. He turns 35 years old in June and is coming off another All-Pro nod in his first season with the Washington Commanders in 2024.
Wagner played on a 1-year, $6.5 million contract in 2024 and was rewarded with a 1-year, $9 million contract on March 10. That doesn’t mean the Commanders can count on him past that. With approximately $118 million in career earnings after the 2025 season, retirement should definitely be on the horizon.
Which also means the Commanders might want to find Wagner’s replacement in the 2025 NFL draft.
“(Wagner) was instrumental in helping turn the defense around under (Dan) Quinn and he still shows signs of elite athleticism from time to time,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine wrote on March 24. “That being said, it would be wise for the Commanders to use this year’s draft as an opportunity to draft an heir apparent for Wagner’s job. Finding another athletic linebacker who can play beside Frankie Luvu would allow the team to transition smoothly into 2026. Someone like Chris Paul Jr., who is considered a bit of a project, could be a worthwhile investment in the third round.”
Ole Miss LB Compared to Another NFL All-Pro
Both NFL draft expert Lance Zierlein and Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder compared Paul to Indianapolis Colts linebacker and 2024 NFL All-Pro Zaire Franklin in their pre-draft profiles.
Like Wagner, Paul is also projected to go in the early rounds — Holder has him as a second or third round pick.
Paul, 6-foot-1 and 222 pounds, played his first 2 seasons at Arkansas before transferring to Ole Miss. In his only season in Oxford in 2024, he was All-SEC, All-American and a Butkus Award finalist with 88 tackles, 11 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 4 pass deflections and 1 interception in 12 games.
“Chris Paul Jr. has a high ceiling in the NFL as he could develop into a well-rounded linebacker,” Holder wrote. “He’s a very good athlete for the position. He is already good in coverage due to impressive movement skills to stay in phase against running backs and tight ends when playing man and tighten throwing windows in zone coverage.”
Commanders Signed Pair of NFL All-Pro Free Agent LBs
The Commanders have been pilloried for their free agent moves in 2025, but this is the same front office and coaching staff that signed Wagner and Luvu in 2024 and watched them both earn NFL All-Pro honors.
Wagner led the Commanders with 132 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 10 TFL.
Luvu was equally as brilliant with 99 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 12 TFL, 7 pass deflections and 1 interception as Washington made the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.
Now, with second-year sensation Jayden Daniels at quarterback, the Commanders enter 2025 as something they haven’t been in over 30 years — legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
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