In just about every way, the 2025 season has been a disaster for the Miami Dolphins. They've started the year 1-4, with their only victory coming against a winless New York Jets team. The playoff hopes many fans held during the offseason have quickly come crashing down. It looks like this franchise is barreling toward a full rebuild, potentially taking years to return to contention.
Players and coaches alike have fallen short of expectations. Mike McDaniel seems to be coaching for his job each weekend.
But amid all of the disappointment, offensive tackle Patrick Paul has given fans something to be excited about. The lineman has taken major steps forward in his second year and looks like he could be a cornerstone in Miami's offense for years to come.
Patrick Paul is one of Dolphins' few bright spots in 2025
In a recent article, Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon laid out the biggest breakout player on every NFL team so far this season. Paul was the clear choice for Miami. Gagnon wrote, "A top-10 pass-blocker at Pro Football Focus, the sophomore second-round pick has been responsible for just six quarterback pressures in five games. Miami has had a brutal year, but Paul's been a bright spot at left tackle."
The Dolphins' line as a whole has been far from impressive. Jonah Savaiinaea already looks like a draft bust, Cole Strange hasn't bounced back from his brutal time with the New England Patriots, and Larry Borom has been consistently outmatched by opposing edge rushers. But it's important not to paint with broad strokes here.
While the rest of the unit has been shaky, Paul has looked like one of the better young tackles in football. As Gagnon mentioned, he's barely allowed any pressures so far this season. Per PFF, his Pass Blocking Efficiency rating of 97.8 ranks 11th in the NFL among qualifying offensive tackles, ahead of names like Jordan Mailata and Morgan Moses.
When Terron Armstead retired over the offseason, many experts expected Paul to struggle to fill his shoes. While he certainly hasn't played at the legendary level of his predecessor, the young tackle has been a pleasant surprise this season. He's easily been the strongest link in Miami's offensive front and may be the only long-term starter this line currently has.
The Dolphins may be watching their season collapse in real time, but at least they found their left tackle of the future.