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Nick Boyle Making Noise as a Possible Sleeper at Tight End Position

By Brett Foote

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Jan 21, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad tight end Nick Boyle of Delaware (86) hangs onto a pass over North squad safety Kurtis Drummond of Michigan State (27) and defensive corner Doran Grant of Ohio State (12) during North squad Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Rising sophomore Crockett Gillmore and 2015 second round draft choice Maxx Williams are getting all the attention at the tight end position for the Baltimore Ravens, and perhaps rightfully so.  Williams is an exciting prospect who many feel will snag a major role right off the bat.  Gillmore is the incumbent for the starting job if Dennis Pitta is unable to take the field come week one.

But many are forgetting that the Ravens also spent a fifth round pick on another tight end – Nick Boyle. And while most have already written him off when it comes to playing a role of prominence in 2015, Boyle isn’t at all fazed.  He also didn’t seem to get the memo that he won’t play a big role in the coming season, because Boyle was impressive by all accounts in the first round of OTAs.

Granted, Boyle is going to be more of a blocker than a pass catcher for the Ravens.  But this is a guy who has drawn comparisons to both Brent Celek and Heath Miller, both solid all around tight ends.  He finished as Delaware’s all time leader in receptions by a tight end after proving that he is a reliable pass catcher in the short to intermediate range of the field.

Boyle is also the same height as Maxx Williams, but 20 pounds heavier.  He even received more targets during 11-on-11 drills at the Ravens’ first OTA sessions, but that doesn’t mean that Boyle is delusional about his upcoming role.

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“They brought me in here for a reason and they brought Maxx in here for a reason,” Boyle said. “I’m a block first, catch passes second kind of tight end.”

It’s the same attitude that got Crockett Gillmore on the field as a rookie, and it may be Nick Boyle’s ticket to playing time in year one.  So while most are assuming that Gillmore, Williams, and Pitta are the ones who will be hogging all the tight end snaps in 2015, Nick Boyle is reminding us that he isn’t exactly going to accept a spot on the bench.

Next: Crockett Gillmore headed for a blocking role?

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