Patrick Paul spent two days begging his agent to convince Chris Grier to draft him
By Brian Miller
Miami Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier met with the media after his day two pick was made and said they did a lot of work on Patrick Paul.
Paul met with Miami on a 30-visit and fell in love with the Dolphins and coach Butch Barry. Chris Grier said that Paul made a big impression on them with how much he wanted to be a part of the team.
Grier told the media members that the Dolphins had Paul as the top-ranked player on their draft board when they were put on the clock. He said the Dolphins were not drafting for need. The Dolphins did not enter the 2024 NFL Draft needing a tackle, but they did need a guard, and Paul does not project to be an interior lineman.
One of the biggest questions is whether or not there is a starting job for him in 2024. Terron Armstead at LT and Austin Jackson on the other will both start. On the surface, it would seem the Dolphins drafted a backup tackle and a future replacement for Armstead.
š„ Chris Grier on how much Patrick Paul wanted to be a Miami Dolphin: "On the visit here he had expressed to us, he's like, 'I don't want to be anywhere but here'... this morning up to our pick, it was a barrage of text messages - not from [Paul] - from his agent saying the kid'sā¦ pic.twitter.com/hG2LRJSkiO
ā FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) April 27, 2024
Miami fans should be thrilled about the Dolphins drafting a guy who wanted more than anything to be part of the organization. Grier pointed out in the video above that they first met him at the Senior Bowl and that his desire to play for the Dolphins was all Paul talked about afterward.
Grier said that Paul is capable of playing both tackle positions, which will give the Dolphins some versatility on the roster.
According to Chris Perkins, there is a chance that Paul can play the guard position, but his lack of speed heading into his blocks could be a hindrance. Paul is a better pass blocker than a run blocker, but it would be interesting to see what he can do at guard. Others in the media do not see him making that transition.
The Dolphins would be smart to throw him in at guard during camp to see if he can win one of the jobs; otherwise, he will sit out until Armstead inevitably gets hurt.
While many fans are not thrilled with the selection, the Dolphins are and they are getting a player that most certainly wants to be a part of the organization. Paul is a hard worker who as Chris Grier told the media, understands that he has work to do to get better.
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