Well, the Texans didn’t have to travel far to get a good look at Houston left tackle Patrick Paul, and Paul is a nice addition to a roster that’s nearly Super Bowl-ready at this point. With Laremy Tunsil manning the left side, it’s likely that Paul will move to the right side, Paul didn’t play a single snap of right tackle in his five years with the Cougars, but he has the athletic flexibility to do different things. Paul isn’t a pure power guy, but he’s one of the more adept technical pass-blockers in this class.
Patrick Paul was a three-star recruit out of Jersey Village High School in Houston, Texas, and he went with his hometown school with few other offers. He became a full-time player in 2021, his third season with the Cougars, and by then, he had developed his pass-blocking acumen to an impressive degree. Last season, he allowed one sack, one quarterback hit, and seven quarterback hurries in 496 pass-blocking attempts. Any team with a pass-heavy offense will love him; the question with Paul is whether he has that dawg in him to use his frame to dominate opposing defenders when it’s time to run to daylight.
PLUSES
— Outstanding combination of size (6′ 7½”, 332), arm length, and technique. Paul comes off the plane just looking like a left tackle.
— Has a natural kick-step that allows him to control the arc with his feet under him. Not a ton of wasted movement.
— Paul is really good at catching aggressive pass-rushers who want to displace him by shoving him through the numbers.
— Not a lot of issues with games and stunts; Paul is an aware player with his head on a swivel.
— Has a decent sense of when to attack with his hands; I’d like to see more of that when he hits the NFL, though that’s a personal preference.
MINUSES
— Quick movement outside with his first step might leave him more vulnerable to inside and spin moves at the NFL level. Recovery speed is more decent than spectacular
— For a guy with his agility, Paul’s hit rate outside and upfield is an issue; he needs to work on attacking moving targets.
— Small hands (9⅜”, third-percentile among offensive tackles) may affect his ability to latch on and dominate in power situations.
— Needs some work in the run game to work quickly to seal the edge. You see it once in a while, but he can be a bit of a spectator when you want an alpha dog.
— Overall, I would love to see Paul get defenders on the track more often and just drive them off the screen, because he has the physical potential to do so.
If your preference is for a glass-eating, ass-kicking tackle, Paul will probably not be your favorite. I like him as a big, agile pass-protector with most everything you need in that department. In offenses where pass pro is the order of the day, he’ll be a fine developmental starter. More balanced teams might look at him a bit sideways.
Patrick Paul, OT. Houston
PLUSES
— Outstanding combination of size (6' 7½", 332), arm length, and technique. Paul comes off the plane just looking like a left tackle.
— Has a natural kick-step that allows him to control the arc with his feet under him. Not a ton of wasted… pic.twitter.com/uu2D7HN03x
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 9, 2024