Patrick Paul, OT, Houston (Junior)
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Rayane M
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Strengths :
- Nice size
- Good power
- Good wingspan
- Nice flashes in Pass pro
- Adequate ability to anchor
Weaknesses :
- Sometimes very sluggish
- Footwork
- Plays too high
- Often off-balance
- Really poor hand placement
- Needs to revise blocking angles when moving to the second level
OT Patrick Paul
— Rayane M (@RayaneScout) January 23, 2024
Player with attractive size but with a ton of work to do in order to get a starting spot
Dont be fooled by the stats, which embellish Paul's current level enormously. He's extremely raw and is already 24yo which is lil' old to me to be a project
3rd Day Talent🏗 pic.twitter.com/lTHRAy99cu
TTProfil
Due to the attributes mentioned above, Patrick is sometimes able to display nice flashes in Pass pro where he manages to keep up with players much more explosive than him, thanks again to his size, which allows him to cover a lot of ground with his Kick and Slide.
We briefly touched on his balance issues in the strengths section, but let's delve into more detail now. Patrick too often finds himself off-balance, whether in run blocking or pass protection. Sometimes leaning too far forward, sometimes backward, he seems to constantly struggle with maintaining his balance. When leaning forward, it's because he places too much weight ahead without being in control, leading to him being easily pulled forward by the slightest tug from a DL. Leaning backward is less frequent but still common, mostly due to his legs lagging behind his opponent, coupled with his Pad level playing too high, so when the defender places his hands well and develops a good push from a low position, Patrick loses his balance and thus loses the rep. This balance issue is quite concerning and will need to be addressed at the professional level if Paul hopes to become a starter.
In conclusion, while Patrick Paul might attract some attention on paper due to a physique that's already prepared for the professional world, or statistics highlighting his number of snaps without allowing sacks, he's a prospect I've always had doubts about, and rest assured, I've had my eye on him for quite some time.
Yes, I can understand why his size might be appealing (after all, it's one of the reasons why I myself started taking an interest in him in the first place), but just watching a Houston game this season will reveal the number of areas Patrick needs to work on to become an interesting rotational option. While he can intermittently show nice moments and good power, he is still far from the level he could reach with a physique like his.
Another point that I find very concerning about Patrick is his failure to dominate the competition. It's always okay, but you never think, "Oh wow!" when watching him play, and this becomes particularly alarming when correlated with the "very" weak opposition he has faced throughout his college career. Simply put, since becoming a starter, the toughest team he has faced is Texas this season, and it can't be said that Texas had a top-tier CFB EDGE this season. And this has been the case throughout his entire college career; Patrick has never faced an EDGE player close to NFL level, and despite this, he has never dominated the competition.
In short, I'm really not excited about Patrick Paul based on what he has shown or his projection in the NFL. Adding his advanced age (he will be 24 in his rookie season) to the mix, his stock is at an all-time low for me, and I wouldn't consider picking him before the 6th round as a developmental player for my rotation. The only thing preventing him from dropping to the 7th round for me is the effort I've seen him put in the work on some of his weaknesses, but unfortunately, it's far from enough. However, I do acknowledge the effort. So, a 6th round pick for me.