Dolphins post Patrick Paul facemask photo that should terrify the rest of the NFL

The Miami Dolphins have put the rest of the NFL on alert after they posted a picture of Patrick Paul wearing his absolutely terrifying facemask. Taken in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, a lot of people questioned general manager Chris Grier making this selection.

Well, Paul is already turning heads over in South Florida, as his stature alone has people talking. Leave it to Miami's most recent social media post and even more fans are going to be discussing the University of Houston product:

Patrick Paul already looks like a terrifying lineman for the Miami Dolphins

If you're a pass-rusher or anyone on the opposing offensive line, how are you realistically going to try and cross a man wearing a facemask that makes Bane look like a friendly neighbor? We knew Paul wore a similar facemask when he was at Houston, but we didn't know if the NFL, which has a massive problem with how players wear their socks and what they write on their cleats, would allow Paul to intimidate his prey like this. Good on the league for allowing this to happen.

It kind of makes you wonder if a bigger deal would have been made about Paul wearing this facemask if he would have been drafted higher. At the very least, if the Dolphins came out right after he was selected with the No. 55 pick in this year's NFL Draft, and said that Paul would indeed be able to wear this facemask, then most fans potentially wouldn't have minded that Paul isn't slated to play significant snaps until next year - he's viewed as the replacement for Terron Armstead.

With that said, rookie minicamp took place recently and from all accounts, the Dolphins' first-year class looks quite solid together. It's minicamp, so not much really went down, but there were definitely some talking points as we inch closer to the summer.

One thing that was discovered is that Paul, a 6-7, 330-pounder, is a total specimen, looking large and in charge working alongside his new teammates. It's safe to say that Paul is right up there in size with former Dolphins lineman Jamie Nails, who checked in at 6-6, 335 pounds during his playing days.

Just feast your eyes on the size of this man. We knew the measurables when he was drafted, but you don't actually know what that looks like until he is standing with the rest of the Dolphins draft class. Paul makes them look like a pee-wee team.

Then you add the menacing facemask and you have to start thinking that maybe, just maybe, Grier and the gang knew what they were doing when they drafted him.