Paul Wants to Emulate One of NFL's Best OTs

Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Patrick Paul will be under the microscope this season for multiple reasons. He’s taking over for Terron Armstead at left tackle and is tasked with protecting an injury-prone quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. 

Despite that, Paul doesn’t feel the pressure at all. 

“No, I don't feel any pressure,” Paul told reporters following training camp practice on Thursday. “We work every day. We work hard in and out, the whole group. We're coached well, and we play with good fundamentals and techniques. So no, no pressure.” 

Learning From the Best

Paul might not be feeling the pressure to perform, but there’s no denying just how much preparation he put in this offseason. 

The former second-round pick told reporters he rewatched all of his reps from last season and spent a ton of time watching tackles from other teams. 

“Probably every single tackle for all the 31 teams,” Paul said. “Yeah, just watching them. I'm a real film junkie, so that's what I do… I really like Trent [Williams]. I like watching Trent.” 

Paul singling out San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams is pretty interesting. Like Paul, Williams is a massive presence at left tackle with surprising movement skills. 

He is listed at 6-5, 320 compared to Paul’s 6-7, 332, but Williams has made a career out of overwhelming defensive linemen with his athletic ability. Williams’ 2010 NFL Combine numbers include 98th percentile 40-yard dash, 97th percentile vertical jump, and 91st percentile broad jump. 

Paul didn’t test at the combine, and he probably wouldn’t have matched those numbers. However, Paul should be aspiring to learn from how Williams maximized his athletic ability. If Paul can do that even half as well at his size, he’ll have no issue carving out a nice career. 

Of course, the other half of this is that Williams is probably the best outside zone-run blocking tackle in the NFL. Williams joined the 49ers in 2020, meaning he was there for Mike McDaniel’s last season as the team’s run game coordinator and his only as the offensive coordinator. 

Williams was always a great player, but McDaniel got so much out of him in the 49ers’ running scheme that he became even more highly regarded with the 49ers. 

If Paul is going to study anyone, it should be the player with a similar play style who was an All-Pro in the same scheme. 

What Must Paul Improve 

It’s clear Paul has the right idea for what types of players he should be mirroring, but that’s only half the battle. Once you know where you’re trying to go, you still have to get there. 

Well, Paul isn’t shy about where he feels like he needs to improve in 2025. 

“My aspect and my mindset is that I want to improve in everything,” Paul said. “So it's constantly working on everything, hand placement, feet, everything. So all aspects.” 

Hand placement is one of the areas Paul should focus on, based on our film review. At Houston, Paul struggled with keeping his hands inside the defender’s chest plate. 

This led to him getting overextended and being put into poor positions. Those same issues resurfaced at times in his limited action in 2024 as well. Still, he did look better than he did in college. 

One reason for that might be the time he spent learning from Terron Armstead. The recently retired offensive tackle was one of the most technically sound blockers in the sport. Paul couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. 

Paul mentioned that he’s still in contact with Armstead and that working with him last season had a significant impact on his development. 

“You know, the repetition of it and just shadowing the guys who were in front of me, everyone on the offensive line learning how they operated every single day, learning from them day in and day out,” Paul said. “It was good, all the reps.” 

The Dolphins need Paul to be a long-term piece on the offensive line. 

They’ve invested a second-round pick and basically a redshirt season into him already. He doesn’t need to be Trent Williams or Terron Armstead, but he does have to justify that investment with some solid years as a starter. 

We won’t know whether he can live up to that billing for a while, but it seems like his work habits and mindset are in the right place.