With Minnesota being dealt Buffalo’s fourth-round pick in the Stefon Diggs trade the Buffalo Bills had to wait until the fifth round to make their first selection of Day 3. There, they took University of Miami (OH) offensive tackle Tommy Doyle.
Before his time as a Redhawk, the Edina, Minn., native was recruited as a 3-star defensive end in 2015 then moved to the offensive line in 2016. His presence along the Redhawks line in 2019 helped the unit allow just 2.0 sacks per game and individually, he was named one of the team’s Offensive Power Players of the Year. His career in Miami, Ohio is highlighted by 32 career starts along with back-to-back First-Team All-MAC and First-Team All-Academic teams in 2019 and 2020.
Interestingly, Buffalo decided to add more depth to their offensive line with back-to-back picks following the selection of Spencer Brown in the third. With the Bills not selecting additional help for the secondary, perhaps the team’s weakest link, the next-best position was the offensive line. With Doyle’s selection, the team now has additional help on the line; a position they desperately needed it at.
Doyle is not poised to be an impact player at any point this season, barring injury to the team’s starters, but he possesses the tangibles and intangibles that make a good tackle. Standing at 6’8″, 326-pounds, Doyle is a tough body to move.
Buffalo’s choice to add two big bodies to their offensive line shows how adamant they are on protecting Josh Allen. With Allen looking for a new contract in the coming months, locking up a franchise quarterback is an investment you want to protect. Far too often in the NFL, fans have seen teams neglect to protect their superstar, like Cincinnati did last year with Joe Burrow, and Allen brings too much to the team to be wasted on IR.
Additionally, with the Buffalo Bills’ inability to establish any type of run game through the 2020 campaign, bring in big bodies that have the strength to move other ones is a sure-fire way to create space for Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, and Josh Allen.