Tommy
Doyle.
Tommy
Doyle.
Miami (OH)· 6'8"· 320 lb
"A 6-8, 320-pound Miami (OH) left tackle with 35-inch arms and a five-year MAC starter's résumé — a Round-5 developmental swing-tackle projection where length was the argument and lateral quickness was the tax."Pre-draft read
Doyle, a jumbo left tackle prototype, anchors against bull-rushers with 35-plus-inch arms, using long-arm extension to stall power. He finishes with mauler intent in the run game, creating displacement on down-blocks and double teams with his 320-pound frame and clean hand placement. His game is built on a strike zone approach, locking out defenders consistently.
However, issues arise below the belt. His kick-slide is heavy, hips stiff in redirect, and speed-to-power rushers exploit a narrow, panicking base, walking him into the pocket. He struggles with recovery quickness against inside counters and loses precision footwork in space, becoming a target rather than a hunter. His length and temperament in close quarters are separating factors, but change-of-direction limits his ceiling.
A gap/duo power run game scheme looking for physical, 'phone booth' offensive linemen to create interior displacement, benefiting from players with long arms and a mauler mentality.
Year 1 as a swing tackle with the potential to develop into a starting right tackle who excels in power and short-yardage running situations.
An Air Raid or spread RPO passing system that demands quick-footed, agile pass protectors capable of extensive lateral movement and recovery.
Doyle's elite length and physical play in tight spaces make him ideal for gap/duo schemes, but his heavy feet and stiff hips are significant liabilities in pass-heavy or movement-oriented offenses.
Tommy Doyle — East-West Shrine Bowl
All-star game reps against Power-5 edges: long-arm anchor, hand placement, and the change-of-direction limits that shaped his Day 3 grade.
5 things to know about Tommy Doyle
Post-draft scouting profile from Buffalo's beat, covering the length threshold, MAC starter volume, and Bills developmental fit.
The Story Behind Tommy Doyle Signing with Buffalo
Long-form background on the Miami (OH) pipeline, pro-day workout, and the developmental swing-tackle role Buffalo drafted him for.
Tommy Doyle emerged as a prospect whose physical tools, specifically his arm length, positioned him as a developmental swing tackle for an NFL team seeking a player to cultivate. His extensive experience at left tackle in college, coupled with a mauling demeanor in the run game, provided a foundational skill set for a team willing to invest in his growth.
Doyle completed a five-year career at Miami (OH) where he started over 40 games at left tackle and earned back-to-back All-MAC honors. He transitioned from a redshirt year to becoming a primary blindside protector, demonstrating durability and consistent on-field presence. His usage was concentrated at left tackle, providing ample tape against Group of Five competition.
Evaluators consistently flagged concerns regarding Doyle's footwork and hip stiffness, particularly against speed rushers, noting the significant jump in competition from the MAC to the NFL. These issues, alongside a perceived lack of lower-body density, positioned him as a Day 3 project, with consensus boards placing him in the fifth-to-seventh-round range. He was ultimately drafted in the fifth round at pick 161.
- 01
Exceptional Length Profile
35-inch arms satisfy NFL tackle thresholds to create a long-arm anchor against edge power, providing significant reach.
- 02
Extensive Starting Experience
40-plus career starts at left tackle in the MAC, including two consecutive First-Team All-MAC selections.
- 03
Dominant Run Blocker
Consistently finishes blocks through the whistle, generating displacement on down-blocks and duo schemes effectively.
- 04
Reliable Hand Placement
Places hands inside the framework on first contact, allowing him to latch, lock out, and control reps with ease.
- 05
Significant Power
320-pound frame and length overwhelm smaller linebackers at the second level on combo blocks and pulls.
- 01
Slow Kick-Slide
Heavy initial kick-slide in pass sets leads to opening hips prematurely against skilled edge rushers, inviting counters.
- 02
Limited Change of Direction
Hip stiffness hinders recovery and adjustment against double moves and spin counters, limiting his ability to reset.
- 03
Vulnerable Anchor
Narrow base against speed-to-power rushes causes him to be pushed back into the pocket easily by bull rushes.
- 04
Competition Level Gap
Significant competition gap from MAC edges to NFL rushers raises concerns about adapting to advanced counter packages.
| Yr | Team | G |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Miami (OH) | 12 |
| 2018 | Miami (OH) | 12 |
| 2019 | Miami (OH) | 14 |
| 2020 | Miami (OH) | 3 |
| Career | — | 41 |
Redshirted in 2016. Started 40 of 41 career games played, primarily at left tackle. Named First-Team All-MAC in 2019 and 2020. Stats from official school bio.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Massive-frame, long-armed tackle whose Sunday value lived in jumbo packages and short-yardage looks rather than as a 17-game blindside starter.
Best-case swing-tackle-turned-spot-starter outcome: length, run-game temperament, and enough anchor to hold up in play-action-heavy protection when a starter goes down.
Career jumbo swing tackle / tackle-eligible specialist — dressed, spot-started when injuries hit, and carved out a decade on rosters without ever winning the LT2 job outright.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Bust. 0 career NFL starts, journeyman practice-squad OL through three seasons. Out of the league by 2024.
Pre-draft context. A five-year contributor at Miami (OH) after redshirting in 2016, Doyle stacked 40-plus starts at left tackle in the MAC, earning back-to-back All-MAC nods and Senior Bowl-adjacent buzz before the East-West Shrine Bowl invite closed his college book. Publicly listed at 6-8, 320 pounds with arms measured beyond 35 inches, he checked every length threshold for a tackle. His Miami pro day (COVID canceled the 2021 combine) produced a functional workout — not elite, but clean enough to keep him on Day 3 boards after two years of stable left-side tape.
NFL fit — Buffalo Bills. The organization traded up in the fifth round for a developmental swing tackle behind Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams, betting on length and the track record for developing raw MAC linemen. Doyle spent 2021 as a game-day inactive and jumbo tackle-eligible package piece, then dressed as the primary swing tackle in 2022 before tearing his ACL in Week 2 against Tennessee, ending his season. He returned in 2023 as a depth piece, was waived after the 2024 preseason, and bounced through the Bills' practice squad and back-of-roster carousel without unlocking a starting opportunity.
Retrospective. The pick has aged as a modest miss — the length translated in jumbo packages and short-yardage looks, but the ACL, followed by intermittent back and hip issues, capped his development window at exactly the moment Buffalo needed a plug-and-play swing tackle. Doyle profiles as a career backup / camp body with tackle-eligible utility, closer to a seventh-round return than the fifth-round trade-up Buffalo paid for.
Data note: Redshirted in 2016. Started 40 of 41 career games played, primarily at left tackle. Named First-Team All-MAC in 2019 and 2020. Stats from official school bio.