Phin Phanatic
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NFL Draft: Late-round offensive tackles for the Miami Dolphins to target

By Wesley Minke

BOULDER, CO - SEPTEMBER 18: Offensive lineman Daniel Faalele #78 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers walks off the field after a 30-0 win over the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on September 18, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
BOULDER, CO - SEPTEMBER 18: Offensive lineman Daniel Faalele #78 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers walks off the field after a 30-0 win over the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on September 18, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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Miami Dolphins
Tulsa Golden Hurricane offensive lineman Chris Paul (Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports) /

Tulsa offensive lineman Chris Paul is more experienced and could be the better Day 1 NFL pro, but is far more inconsistent against better competition.

Not to be confused with the all-time great NBA point guard Chris Paul, Tulsa’s right tackle Chris Paul is a guy who is a wildcard in the 2022 NFL Draft class. The 6 foot 4 inches 323-pound redshirt senior out of Houston, Texas plays a lot smoother than his size would suggest.

The issue with Chris Paul and the reason why he is not flying up the 2022 NFL Draft board is because of his inconsistency. He has struggled to play up to standards against his competition when they have more skill than he has. He often will play with slow feet and be called for holding penalties.

This could be a perfect pick for the Miami Dolphins though, with the new Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum’s history, and Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith’s history of developing young offensive tackle prospects. This could be another perfect opportunity to work with a guy who has experience at right tackle.

He has flexibility all over the line which could be another reason why the Miami Dolphins are prone to take him. In 2019 for Tulsa he played 977 snaps at left guard, in 2020 he played 484 snaps at right tackle, and 19 snaps at left tackle.

However, in 2021 he took 585 snaps at right tackle and 62 snaps at left tackle, so he has shown his ability to play all over the field. The 12 QB hurries he allowed in 2021 also stand out quite large, as before that season he had allowed 5 combined QB hurries in 2 years.

The only thing Chris Paul might have trouble with within the NFL game is the speed he will face off the edge. He seemed to regularly get beat with speed against Ohio State earlier in the 2021 season, and again against Oklahoma State as well.

If he can work on footwork and speeding up to the NFL game, he has proven he is good enough with his hands to play in the league comfortably. The Miami Dolphins can take a bit of a risk on a prospect like this, and I do not see why they would show any hesitation towards this move.

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