ASHBURN, VA — The Washington Commanders rounded out their draft Saturday with two selections in the seventh round, taking Tulsa guard Chris Paul with the 230th pick and Oklahoma State cornerback Christian Holmes at No. 240.
Paul — who has the same name as the famous basketball player — is known for his positional versatility up front. The 6-foot-4, 324-pound lineman played right guard, left guard and right tackle in the three years he started at Tulsa. Paul told reporters that he best excels at guard, a position that Washington needed help after seeing Brandon Scherff and Ereck Flowers depart in the offseason.
Holmes, on the other hand, is a man-to-man corner with extensive college experience. The 6-foot defensive back spent six years in college, starting at Missouri before transferring to Oklahoma State. He was known as a “super senior” who was able to retain eligibility because of the pandemic.
The Commanders completed the league’s three-day draft with a total of eight picks — two more than they started the event with. Washington made a total of two trades, first sending No. 11 to the New Orleans Saints for Nos. 16, 98 and 120. The team then flipped 120 and 189 to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for two fifth rounders, 144 and 149.
The team’s selections can be found below with the round, the pick, the player’s name, his position and his college:
1-16: Jahan Dotson, wide receiver, Penn State
2-47: Phidarian Mathis, defensive tackle, Alabama
3-98: Brian Robinson Jr., running back, Alabama
4-113: Percy Butler, safety, Louisiana
5-144: Sam Howell, quarterback, North Carolina
5-149: Cole Turner, tight end, Nevada
7-230: Chris Paul, guard, Tulsa
7-240: Christian Holmes, cornerback, Oklahoma State