Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie isn’t the type of guy you can just ‘control’. The 6-foot-2-inch, 250 lbs pass rusher has spent his entire NFL career as a usual face on gameday. Ebiketie has played in 33 games and recorded 8.5 sacks throughout the past two years. However, throughout the Aug. 9 preseason game against the Miami Dolphins — and two joint practices — he couldn’t get past a rookie. Specifically, the mountain of offensive tackle, Miami Dolphins Patrick Paul. The Houston alum has yet to allow a single sack this preseason, and people are taking notice. Especially in an offensive line in trouble.
Dolphins Rookie Tackle Shines Hope for Injured Offensive Line
Paul’s Impact on the Field Early
Paul entered training camp as the Dolphins’ second-round selection from the 2024 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-7-inch lineman is no joke. Paul played his entire four-year collegiate career as the starting left tackle under a Houston teams RPO-heavy, balanced run scheme. The tall and large frame of Paul allowed him the capabilities to thrive against some of the elite pass rushers from the college level.
Weighing in at a healthy 332 lbs, Paul can stop defensive lineman and angle them with a flip of a hip. This has made a lot of room for running backs throughout training camp and Miami’s 20-13 preseason opener win. Speedsters such as rookie running back Jaylen Wright were able to have successful runs due to Paul’s blocking on the left.
Some other strengths from the rookie left tackle are excellent length, strong hands to latch onto defenders and good athletic ability to get to landmarks in pass protection, according to Bleacher Report Scouting Department. Even though there is a lot to boast, Paul still has some negative takeaways from training camp.
Rookies are expected to develop gradually in their game on the professional level. This is the case for Paul as he still needs some time adapting to the speed of his opponents. The former Houston captain struggled to match fenders when pass rushers used hand techniques to blow by him. This flaw, however, will be one of the small things needed to be fixed.
McDaniel, Thompson Taking Notice
Paul played deep into the fourth quarter in Miami’s first preseason game against Atlanta. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel wanted to see how the rookie would respond during the game. McDaniel was comfortable with it, he said.
“I thought he had some real good opportunities to learn,” McDaniel said. “I thought he played fast and physical. So, there’s some good stuff there.”
Paul’s physical play allowed quarterback Skylar Thompson to provide the offense success in the first half of the game. The third-year game manager threw for 95 yards, an interception and a touchdown in Miami’s victory over Atlanta. Thompson said it was good that Paul got his reps in a non-practice setting. The moment allowed the offensive tackle to lean back on his work camp, Thompson said.
“You’re out there, there’s no coaches, and you’re truly trusting your training. I thought Pat(rick) did a really good job tonight,” Thompson said. “He’s a really cool guy. He really has some confidence, is a great teammate and he’s a large human being. So, it was cool to get that first experience with him.”
Offensive Line Issues and Potential Resolutions
Teams in the NFL usually don’t want rookies to start right away unless they’re ready for week one action. Paul, who has had a decent camp so far, may be integrated early in the regular season due to offensive line injuries. The Dolphins in last week alone suffered two o-line injuries.
Expected starting center Aaron Brewer injured his right hand and tackle Kion Smith, who tore his ACL in the preseason opener. Brewer will be week-to-week and Smith will be sidelined for the entire season. The Dolphins in response to Smith’s injury placed him on the reserve/injured list and signed back offensive lineman Chasen Hines — who was waived by Miami earlier this month.
The likely outcome to these injuries will be that the Dolphins will be back in the market looking for more offensive line talent. For Paul, this could mean that he can have a chance as a starter with other lineman, such as Liam Eichenberg, being moved around to make up for absences a few weeks before the regular season.
Main Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
