New Miami Dolphins draft pick Patrick Paul may have satisfied one life goal by entering the NFL, but the offensive lineman has much bigger ones in mind, saying he will be president of Nigeria one day.
New Dolphins offensive tackle Patrick Paul tells ABC that he plans to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and "be the president of Nigeria one day when I'm done playing. That's my goal and it's going to happen."
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) April 27, 2024
On Friday, the Dolphins used their second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, No. 55 overall, on the 22-year-old University of Houston product. He was born in the city before living in his family’s homeland of Nigeria briefly as a child. He then moved back to the United States and played high school football in the state of Texas before joining his hometown college.
Paul’s grandfather, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, was a military head of state in Nigeria, seizing power in a coup in January 1966. He was assassinated in July of that year.
That unique background could make Paul an intriguing prospect and NFL player. At 6-foot-8 and 331 pounds, he started 44 games at left tackle in college.
“Paul is smooth getting set and his long arms make it tough for speed rushers to turn the corner,” wrote Steve Muench of ESPN. “He is quick, has the frame to cover up defenders in the run game and is effective combo blocking to the second level.”
It is thought that with some development, Paul could be able to replace veteran tackle Terron Armstead on the Dolphins’ offensive line at some point. The 32-year-old is back for another season after reportedly considering retirement.
This offseason, Miami added free agent offensive linemen Aaron Brewer and retained Robert Jones and Isaiah Wynn.
With their first-round pick on Thursday, the Dolphins selected pass rusher Chop Robinson out of Pennsylvania State University at No. 21 overall. One of Robinson’s former coaches said he and Jaelan Phillips will “terrorize” quarterbacks together. It should be noted that Phillips and Bradley Chubb are recovering from injuries, which is likely one of the reasons Miami selected a pass rusher in the first round.
The draft wraps up on Saturday with rounds four through seven. Miami currently holds one pick in the fifth round, two picks in the sixth round and one pick in the seventh round.
The Dolphins reportedly are looking for a “highly skilled” No. 3 receiver to play alongside stars Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and could use the draft or free agency to fill that need. They have been linked to Odell Beckham Jr. as a possible solution.
