My 2 cents on the Paul pick:
When I first saw his overall ranking relative to where he was drafted, I was a bit squeamish but the more I dig into this kid, I’m actually cautiously excited to see what he can become. I even saw him mocked to Miami in the 1st round a couple of times but that was pretty early on in the mock draft process.
What I like:
When a guy can grade out as the best pass blocking OT in college football and the 2nd best OT overall, I struggle to see why he’d be considered a reach in the 2nd round, unless he were a ticking timebomb on the injury front. I love, love, LOVE his size. It’s always a recipe for disaster when a team reaches on a
OT with short arms. Paul’s physical measurements are off the charts and that checks maybe the most important box for me. I also love seeing that this kid is always available to play. Hasn’t missed a start in his last 3 years at Houston.
Lastly, I like Grier’s track record here. My gripe with him has never been about the OL he’s ended up drafting, it’s been his reluctance to draft even more OL in the early rounds that has bothered me. It turns out he was right in selecting Austin Jackson and he’s also the GM that drafted Robert Hunt and helped him get $100 million on his 2nd contract. I like McDaniel’s and even Butch Berry’s track record with O-lineman during their time in Miami. Almost every write-up I’ve read on Paul mentions that with the right coaching, he could turn into a high level starting LT in this league. Well, I think he’s got the right coaching, so I’m excited to watch him grow and I hope it happens fast!