Under Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins’ offensive line has had numerous injuries, thus the organization is hoping for the best with Terron Armstead. The veteran left tackle has battled a variety of ailments in Miami, but he has provided strong performance when available.
Armstead chose to stay for his 12th NFL season, and the Dolphins also signed right tackle Austin Jackson on a long-term contract. Jackson shined last season, but was out for nearly the whole 2022 season due to injury. This made the draft an important opportunity for the Dolphins to spend early, which they did by selecting Patrick Paul with a second-round pick. The Day 2 investment has now been signed.
The Dolphins announced that they had reached an agreement with Paul on his second-round rookie contract, which will continue through 2027. Paul, who was selected 55th overall by the Dolphins, will profit from this year’s consistent increases in guaranteed money. Based on where the Texans picked with Blake Fisher at No. 59, Paul might be the first player selected 55th overall to have part of his Year 3 base pay guaranteed. Houston guaranteed 4% of the base salary for its second-round tackle in 2026.
Paul mostly played left tackle for Houston, which switched from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 before his senior season. Despite this, the talented blocker continued to amaze, finishing as a first-team All-Big 12 tackle a year after being named first-team All-AAC in 2021 and 2022. Paul earned second-team All-America accolades after starting 27 games as left tackle over the previous two seasons. Paul also started three games at left tackle for the Cougars as a freshman in 2019.
Despite his college record, ESPN’s Scouts Inc. did not rate Paul as a Day 2 talent; he ranked 132nd on their list. The Dolphins disagreed, and Armstead’s recent injuries suggest that the rookie could be needed in 2024.
The team may also have the option of retaining Paul on the development track. This offseason, Miami re-signed swing tackle Kendall Lamm to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. Last year, Lamm made eight starts, primarily filling in for Armstead, who missed seven games. With Armstead on a year-to-year contract and Lamm as a veteran backup, Paul has a clear road to becoming a Dolphins starter in the not-too-distant future.
