He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, and also played for the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys.

Playing defensive line at only 240 pounds, he drew little attention by Division I schools, so he decided to enroll at nearby Snow College in Ephraim.

Finally drawing the attention of major schools, he transferred to Oregon State in mid-season after graduating from Snow with an associate degree in December 2007.

Making an immediate impact for the Beavers, Paea played in all 13 games, starting 12 of them, and recorded 41 tackles, 11 for a loss, and five quarterback sacks.

Paea was invited to the 2011 Senior Bowl, but tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee on the opening practice, causing him to miss the remainder of the event.

On March 10, 2017, Paea signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys, to help replace defensive tackle Terrell McClain who left in free agency.

[19] Although he battled a degenerative knee condition, he had a strong showing in the preseason and earned the starting position at defensive tackle, which gave the team the confidence to release Cedric Thornton.