Does it make sense for the Rams to add Patrick Paul out of Houston to their offensive line unit?

The Rams have a few offensive linemen that will hit free agency which leads to the belief they will likely draft more help in the trenches this April. Could the Houston Cougar Patrick Paul be an option?

Paul is a three-year starter at Houston who will be 24 years of age by the end of the 2024 NFL season. He had his best year this past year in terms of cutting down the pressures he allowed and the penalties he accumulated. Paul stands at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds and has great length and power for the position.

The Cougar captain graded out for me as a late second rounder. I think he sets his anchor well and his kick slide covers a ton of ground, not to mention he can recover well if he’s beat initially. However, I have too many reservations to call him an early second round or first round prospect.

Paul mirrors well in pass protection and when he gets a chance to block in the run game he shows his effectiveness at getting up to the second level and delivering a destructive blow to a defensive player. He’s extremely aware of what is going on around him at all times, you can see his communication skills are on point when he has to call out a stunt. He will lose reps due to technical skills and his athleticism which isn’t bad. However, the big thing for Paul is that you aren’t going to see him lose a rep mentally.

One thing that is fascinating about Paul’s game is how quickly he picks up on what his assignment is doing in their pass rush plan. Paul can easily adjust on the fly to the information he takes in throughout the game, leading to him fixing any early mistakes.

The biggest concerns with Paul start with his inconsistent footwork. His kick slide may cover a lot of ground but he needs to be more fluid in his footwork to secure himself at the next level. On top of that he didn’t run block as much as some of the other peer tackles in this draft. He doesn’t have great flexibility and his hand placement is very inconsistent. What you come away with is a player who has a lot going for him but has enough causes for concern to lead to him falling into the second round or even more down the board.

Paul is set up body composition wise to the point where if he gets drafted by the right coaching staff he’s going to be an extraordinary pass protector. He must improve his run blocking ability though if he ever wants to reach the level of being a starting tackle in the NFL. If Patrick Paul does put it all together he’s going to be a franchise tackle.

Does he make sense for the Rams though? I believe so. I think the Rams with an unsure look at left tackle could draft Paul in maybe the second round after a trade down or even in the third round. Paul doesn’t have to play right away if the team signs Alaric Jackson, but he does have a decently high floor in the pass protection area of his game where you could get away with it. I chalk up his run blocking deficiencies to the scheme, so I believe that is something he will be developed in once he gets to the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus, Patrick Paul was the number one overall pass blocker, tied for 51st in run blocking grade and ninth overall tackle. He gave up 43 pressures in 1,588 career pass protection snaps and four sacks. Paul definitely had a quality college career and has NFL written all over him and with the right coaching he will stick around a long time.