Buffalo Bills 2021 NFL Draft Prospect to Know: DT Tyler Shelvin
Last year, the Buffalo Bills had a chance to look into their future and what their defense might be without Star Lotulelei. Their starting defensive tackle opted out of last season and his absence was noticeable as they struggled against the run.
The upcoming 2021 NFL Draft has a number of players who could be an eventual replacement for Lotulelei and one of those players is Tyler Shelvin from LSU. Let’s take a closer look at his resume and how he might with the Buffalo Bills.
Measurables/Stats
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 350 pounds
Arms: 33.625″
Hands: 10.25″
Similar to Lotulelei, Tyler Shelvin opted out of this past season due to the pandemic and missed the 2020 season. Prior to that, Shelvin played in 17 games over two seasons with LSU and finished with 39 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss.
NFL.com Scouting Report by Lance Zierlein
"Block-eating nose tackle with girth, power and leverage to play the role of tree stump against the run in an odd or even front. Shelvin can engage double teams with some effectiveness to allow linebackers to run free, but he doesn’t display much range to make plays. He can be inconsistent in controlling and shedding single blocks in a timely fashion. He would benefit from better conditioning to improve both his stamina and quickness. He’s unlikely to ever be much of a playmaker or pass rusher, which could limit his draft value, but his stout presence in the middle should carry value for teams looking to tighten up against the run."
Highlights
How he fits on the Buffalo Bills
Tyler Shelvin is a player who likely would be a Day 3 target but could see significant playing time as a rookie for this defense. He eventually would be expected to replace Star Lotulelei in this starting defense as the one-tech.
The addition of Shelvin would not only help the run defense but also free up a player like Ed Oliver, who is a three-tech and more of a penetrating presence on the interior of the line. By pairing Shelvin with Oliver, it would help Oliver get more favorable matchups and in winnable situations.
However, as a rookie, Shelvin could see plenty of playing time as the coaching staff likes to rotate their defensive line fairly frequently. Last year, Oliver finished first on the team in snaps for defensive tackles but played only 53% of the defensive snaps.
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The addition of Shelvin would give the Buffalo Bills a player who is more athletic than Lotulelei and a long-term answer at the position.