MOBILE, AL -- Repairing the offensive line and protecting Will Levis needs to be a priority for the Tennessee Titans during the 2024 offseason.
In both free agency and the draft, the Titans need to add talent on the offensive line, especially at tackle. With Peter Skoronski and Daniel Brunskill, Tennessee has a few capable interior linemen, but the cupboard is bare at tackle.
Head coach Brian Callahan said in his introductory press conference that the Titans would be targeting linemen that "are great in pass protection, can anchor, and have great length"...Allow me to introduce you to Patrick Paul.
Houston Cougars offensive tackle Patrick Paul stands out first and foremost for his frame. The four-year starter stands 6-foot-7, weighs 333 pounds, and has arms longer than 36 inches.
He has the length Brian Callahan covets at left tackle and has gained a ton of experience at the position. Paul made 44 career starts in college, all of them at left tackle. While he views himself as a left tackle at the NFL level, he has still been taking reps at right tackle during Senior Bowl practices to show teams that he can bring versatility to their organization.
And since the Titans are looking for a guy that can anchor and excel in pass protection, it's worth noting that the Houston Cougars run an air raid offense. In all four years Paul was at UH, the Cougars were a Top 50 college offense in pass attempts per game.
"My whole career, I've come from an air raid offense," said Paul on Wednesday night. "Don't let anyone touch your quarterback. That's all I know."
But just in case you think size and length is all Paul brings to the table, you should probably know that he's also an avid boxer and refers to himself as a "martial arts prodigy."
"I started boxing when I got to college and it's something I picked up so quickly and naturally. I was just good at it. It was because of football that I started. One of the older guys in our group took us out to this boxing gym and I've just been there ever since. I fell in love with it immediately when I went to one class and I've just stuck with it," Paul told me on Wednesday.
Boxing has helped Paul develop his hand speed, hand-eye coordination, and footwork as a football player.
Houston OT Patrick Paul is 333 pounds, has 36-inch arms and is an avid boxer.
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) February 1, 2024
Boxing has helped Paul develop his hand speed, hand-eye coordination, and footwork at left tackle.
He has met with the #Titans this week at the @seniorbowl. pic.twitter.com/pJtZuxtdzG
If the Titans go wide receiver with the 7th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which is not a difficult scenario to imagine, they'll likely be looking at adding a tackle in the rounds that follow.
Paul is currently the OT10 and the 52nd ranked player on the consensus draft big board, which likely means he'll go sometime on day two.
He could be really good value for the Titans at 39 if he falls. From what I've heard from Brian Callahan and what I've seen out of Paul, this feels like a pretty good match. Paul also confirmed for me on Wednesday that he already met with Titans brass at the Senior Bowl.
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