2024 rookie about to take on a big role in 2025 for the Miami Dolphins, and his performance will impact the season massively

It always felt like the Miami Dolphins were moving on from their veteran left tackle in the short term, and on Saturday evening, that eventual expectation came to fruition with Terron Armstead announcing his retirement from the NFL. 

That's been a possibility that the Dolphins have been preparing for since last year, and that preparation has prepared them to be able to continue on with a young player they hope can eventually fill the big shoes left by the departing five-time Pro Bowler. 

The Dolphins selection tackle Patrick Paul out of the University of Houston in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.  Paul is big, both in his stature and his potential upside. Standing at 6'7", 330 pounds with a wingspan of over 86 inches, Paul is a mammoth of a man with the tools to be able to succeed at the NFL level. 

Of course, you have to know how to use those tools, and it wasn't always pretty for Paul last year in his rookie season.  Appearing in all 17 games last year with 3 starts, Paul got a decent bit of time on the field, particularly for Miami having two capable starters in Armstead and Austin Jackson.  However, injuries struck both of the veterans, and Paul logged snaps on both sides of the line. 

Paul allowed 15 pressures and 3 sacks with 5 penalties in 229 pass blocking snaps last year.  By way of comparison, Armstead allowed 11 pressures and 3 sacks with 3 penalties in 501 pass blocking snaps last year. Paul finished with a PFF grade of 44.9 with a 55.8 pass blocking mark and 44.1 run blocking mark.  

For those calling for Miami to go another route at the position, well, don't bother.  The Dolphins invested a significant draft pick in the position with the 55th overall pick last year.  As Chris Grier has shown, he's patient with his OL draft picks.  Sometimes that pays off, as it did with Austin Jackson after moving to right tackle, and sometimes it doesn't, as in the case of Liam Eichenberg, who's never managed to figure it out for the Dolphins. 

As the Dolphins still have a starting guard spot to fill, a draft prospect like LSU's Will Campbell or Armand Membou - who have guard/tackle flexibility - make sense from the perspective of filling a starting spot while also giving an added option to play tackle if Paul indeed doesn't pan out.  They also signed Larry Borom last month, who projects as a reserve/swing tackle at best. 

But make no mistake, Paul is about to be put on an island and tasked with protecting the franchise's top investment in QB Tua Tagovailoa.  And if he doesn't take a significant step forward in year two this fall, it will be tough for Miami's offense to make the improvement it needs to after a forgettable 2024.