On the Chiefs’ draft board: Houston left tackle Patrick Paul

A top offensive line prospect revealed that he met with Kansas City at the Scouting Combine

If there is one position where the Kansas City Chiefs’ general manager Brett Veach has had trouble locking down a long-term solution, it’s left tackle. In the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chiefs selected Wanya Morris, who saw limited action (with mixed results) in his rookie season.

So while Morris remains on the table, Kansas City continues its search for a long-term contributor. Longtime NFL reporter Aaron Wilson of Houston’s KPRC-TV reported that head coach Andy Reid and offensive line coach Andy Heck were among those who met with the Houston Cougars’ star left tackle Patrick Paul at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Here’s what you need to know about Paul.

Background

Although Paul was born in Houston, his family originally hails from Nigeria — where his grandfather was once president.

He played his high school ball at Jersey Village High School in Houston, where he was a three-star recruit who was tanked 158th in his class. Paul was not highly recruited. Aside from Houston, only Tulsa extended him an offer.

Still, it’s pretty amusing to watch the 6-foot-7, 331-pound Paul (who has 36 1/14-inch arms) abuse the poor kids half his size who played against him in high school.

The 23-year-old tackle is old for a junior. He started three games as a true freshman at Houston in 2019, playing 195 snaps — including 178 at left tackle. He was redshirted in 2020 with a foot and ankle injury after in just two games. He remained a redshirt freshman in his third year, in which he played 1,000 snaps at left tackle and received first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors.

In 2022, Pro Football Focus ranked Paul second in pass blocking among left tackles. In 2023, his 91.5 pass-blocking grade was PFF’s highest among all college tackles. He was also given first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors and ESPN named him a second-team All-American.

Film evaluation

There is a lot to like in Paul’s tape. He is long — and moves well for a guy his size. He has quick feet and uses his size to out-leverage smaller opponents. He does not give up on blocks; he will battle through the whistle. He does, however, sometimes get grabby; he has a tendency to let his hands get outside the defender’s pads.

Because he is so tall, he can also play too upright — which can allow defenders to get under his pads. When this happens, he can get top-heavy and get out over his skis — and sometimes he struggles to recover. But on the reps where he puts it all together, he looks like a can’t-miss stud.

It’s rare to find a guy of Paul’s size who can move so well. But while he has the agility to deal with counter moves, there are times when he will set too deep. This allows defenders to beat him inside. Still, when he is able to keep defenders in front of him, he is dang near impassable.

And then there is the best part of Paul’s game: he has a cold-blooded nasty streak. He enjoys punishing the opposition and will pancake a defender with vigor — as noted here when he tosses former first-round pick Tyree Wilson to the ground like a child.

How he fits with the Chiefs

This isn’t a great draft for left tackles; the pickings are slim. If the Chiefs are hoping to invest a Day 2 pick in a player to compete with Morris for the starting left tackle job, there are few players in the draft with more upside than Paul.

He looks like he was built in an offensive lineman factory designed by Andy Reid. For this reason — even with his shortcomings — I think Paul is near the top of Kansas City’s draft board. I would not be surprised to see the team take him as early as the second round.

But he might not last that long. A player with Paul’s size and weight will tend to be overdrafted; we see it happen with offensive tackles every year. However it plays out, Paul will be a player to watch on draft weekend.