Watch the 2024 film of the Miami Dolphins win over the Cleveland Browns, and you’ll see a young Patrick Paul face off against a future Hall of Famer in Myles Garrett.
The results are what you expect: Garrett, a former defensive player of the year, forces the then-rookie to work harder than he likely ever had, and it often still isn’t even be enough. Also apparent: Paul has potential to one day succeed a five-time Pro Bowler in Terron Armstead.
“I learned just to be ready,” said Paul, who relieved Armstead due to the veteran’s knee issues. “Going in at an instant against someone like that, it teaches you a lot. It gives you your ‘welcome [to the league]’ moments, but I felt like it was an invaluable experience.”
It’s no surprise that in the days ahead of the 2025 rematch, Paul appeared excited. This, however, should come as no surprise: the second-year tackle craves these matchups. And with Garrett being arguably the best edge rusher that Paul will face all season, Sunday’s showdown can illustrate just how much the former Houston standout has grown.
“This is why I play football,” Paul said. “That’s just my mindset. I feel like it’s great competition, and it really shows if you belong or not – in a deeper way.”
Amid the disappointment of a 1-5 season, Paul has emerged as a clear bright spot. The former Houston standout has firmly cemented himself as the left tackle of the future. Through six games, he has allowed just two sacks and rated as the 14th-best pass-blocking tackle, according to Pro Football Focus, an achievement considering the struggles on the interior of the offensive line . For context, Paul has received virtually the same number of snaps this year (338) than he did the entirety of 2024 (337) and has posted fewer sacks as well as quarterback hurries.
“Patrick has done an unbelievable job of being a professional and understanding the work that he has to do to get himself ready,” Dolphins offensive line coach Butch Barry said, specifically praising his offseason training and the day-to-day preparation for each opponent. “He’s done a good job of taking all the information that we give him, processing all that, what he has to do in terms of film study to having extra meetings with us as coaches so that he has all the information so that he can be the most productive on game day.”
Paul’s mentality, however, received rave reviews from his quarterback and coaches.
“It tells you the person and the mindset that Pat comes into these games with,” Tua Tagovailoa said. “Having that opportunity to play against someone of Myles Garrett’s caliber, when he has that opportunity, he looks to always flourish every time.”
Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith agreed.
“That’s what you want out of all your guys,” Smith said of Paul. “You have elite performers come in town, and you want to take on the best. To be the best, you got to compete against the best.”
Of course, Paul won’t solely be responsible for Garrett. The four-time All-Pro has a unique combination of size, speed and power that has made the Browns more relevant in the nine years since the franchise selected him No. 1 overall in 2017 than they’ve been since the turn of the century. Coach Mike McDaniel even admitted to this.
“You have to balance it,” McDaniel said. “You have to understand that it’s no single person’s job when you’re talking about one of the best players in the league at any position, and it may take a receiver adding an extra bump to his pass rush, or a chip to help Pat block him, or it may take the appropriate receiver route and quarterback timing to block him and to beat his pass rush by timing, or it may take a turn, or we may account on one play three guys on him. You do that in a collection of plays over the course of the game, and it’s never one person’s responsibility.”
Still, hopefully Paul’s attitude is contagious. If the second-year tackle relishes the opportunity to battle with someone who will one day have a bronzed bust in Canton, Ohio, there’s no reason for anyone else to worry about their respective matchup. Then and only then can the Dolphins eke out their second win of the season.