MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins need to find a way to get their five best offensive linemen on the field.
And right now, given the team’s mounting injuries and a revealing preseason opener, Patrick Paul is probably one of those five best.
A Strong Start for Miami Dolphins OT Patrick Paul
Kion Smith on Friday joined Aaron Brewer and Isaiah Wynn on the Dolphins’ growing list of injured players.
Smith tore his ACL, ending his season before it began. As a result, the Dolphins are now paper thin on the line, particularly in the interior. (They placed Smith on IR Saturday and re-signed guard Chasen Hines to fill the roster spot.)
But that all seemed a little less dire after watching Paul excel for 63 snaps against the Atlanta Falcons Friday night.
Paul, per Pro Football Focus, allowed zero sacks and just two pressures in 36 pass-rush snaps. He was an eraser in the ground game, helping spring fellow rookie Jaylen Wright for multiple long runs.
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It was everything the Dolphins envisioned when they made Paul the 55th overall pick in April’s draft.
“We kind of wanted to see really how he was doing during the game,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said postgame. “We were comfortable with it and [offensive line coach] Butch [Barry] wanted to keep him in a couple extra drives. Our plan was at the beginning of the third quarter to get him a series and get him out and we left him in a little bit.
“I thought he had some real good opportunities to learn, and I thought he played fast and physical. There was some good stuff there.”
Added Dolphins quarterback Mike White: “Pat was awesome. I think what I liked about Pat too was his demeanor on the field, he was very calm, the moment didn’t seem too big for him. He’s a humongous human, so that’s one thing that benefits him, but his mentality today is what stood out to me. It felt like the moment never got too big for him.”
All that being said, there’s no obvious place for Paul on the field right now unless the Dolphins shockingly move him, Austin Jackson, or Terron Armstead to guard. Certainly, nothing can be ruled out if things get really desperate, but right now that scenario seems quite unlikely.
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Paul instead should be more focused on leapfrogging Kendall Lamm on the depth chart. Lamm was the Dolphins’ fourth-most used offensive lineman in 2023 due to injuries to Armstead and Jackson, and if Paul can win the OT3 job, he will almost certainly see big-time action in 2023.
The Dolphins should also consider using Paul as a sixth offensive lineman in heavy run packages. As White said, he’s a mountain of a man (6’7″, 332 pounds), and could provide big value as a blocking tight end.
“There are moments in it where you just go out there and you just realize, ‘Yeah I can do this, this is what I’m made for,'” Paul said late Friday. “I’ve had those moments. You just got to keep building, trusting in his coaching, and trusting in what their plan is for me.”