Dolphins select Houston OT Patrick Paul in second round, but will he contribute as a rookie?

MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins drafted Houston offensive tackle Patrick Paul in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday, filling a need at a backup position.

But the big question is whether Paul, the 6 foot 7, 331-pounder who has an extraordinary 36-inch reach, is good enough contribute soon.

Is he good enough to contend for a starting job this year?

Is he good enough to push veteran Kendall Lamm and become the Dolphins’ top backup offensive tackle?

Is deserving of being the Dolphins’ selection in the second round?

Did the Dolphins do well enough with their first- and second-round selections?

The Dolphins, who drafted Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson with their first-round pick (No. 21) on Thursday, needed immediate help from the draft and there’s concern they drafted two developmental-type players.

Robinson will likely be an immediate starter as returning veterans Bradley Chubb (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) recover.

But that’s not the case with Paul, the 55th selection in the draft.

Various scouting reports and mock drafts projected Paul anywhere from the low first round to the second round.

General manager Chris Grier said right now the Dolphins are only looking at Paul as a tackle, not a guard, and he then added, “but we don’t box people in.”

If Paul is only a tackle, he’s a backup considering the Dolphins return starting left tackle Terron Armstead and starting right tackle Austin Jackson.

“He knows he’s got some things to work on,” Grier said of Paul. “He’s very honest and direct and that’s what we really appreciated.’’

The Dolphins had options aside from selecting Paul.

Grier said they got “a bunch” of trade offers for the No. 55 pick.

“A couple were enticing,” he said, “but not enough for us to move off Patrick.”

As for other positions, right before the Dolphins took Paul, Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell went to Indianapolis at No. 52, Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott went to Washington at No. 53, and Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. went to Cleveland at No. 54.

All are players the Dolphins could have chosen.

Right after Paul’s selection, Western Michigan edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland went to Dallas at No. 56, and Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell went to Tampa at No. 57, and Georgia safety Javon Bullard went to Green Bay at No. 58.

Again, all are players the Dolphins could have chosen.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the second round has been a successful spot for Grier and the Dolphins since he took over the draft in 2016.

The second-round picks since then have been Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard (2016), linebacker Raekwon McMillan (2017), tight end Mike Gesicki (2019), guard Robert Hunt and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (2020), safety Jevon Holland and guard Liam Eichenberg (2021) and cornerback Cam Smith (2023).

That’s eight selections — one Pro Bowler (Howard), two high-quality players (Hunt and Holland), and three serviceable players (Eichenberg, Gesicki and Davis), one so-so player (McMillan) and one unproven player (Smith).

Overall, that’s decent success.

As a bonus to selecting Paul, he’s an engaging young man with an interesting background.

He’s long-armed with a 36-inch reach that he uses to his advantage.

“Always being the first person, if your timing is right, to land that punch and get that contact, it gives you an advantage being the first to strike,” Paul said.

He’s a martial arts enthusiast who practices boxing and MMA.

“It correlates definitely to the field,” Paul said.

His grandfather, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was a major general in the Nigerian Army and head of state of Nigeria for a six-month stretch in 1966 after he took over following a coup.

Paul lived in Nigeria as a youngster for two and a half years. He hasn’t been back since 2015.

And he has a dynamic personality as well as a big smile.

“He was very enthusiastic about his intentions of wanting to play here,” Grier said with a smile.

The Dolphins said they spent a lot of time with Paul between the Senior Bowl, combine and a visit to the Dolphins’ team facility in Miami Gardens.

Paul said he enjoyed his time with the Dolphins tremendously, describing the three visits as “great,” “great,” and “amazing.”

But the question is whether Paul can be a contributor this year, and a starter next year as a replacement to Armstead, who considered retirement this offseason.

Grier thinks Paul can do both.

“We’re excited,” Grier said. “We think he has another level he can take it to, and he wants to, and that’s an important part. He wants to be good and he wants to be coached.”