Personal information | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born: | Wantage Township, New Jersey, U.S. | February 17, 1993||||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 261 lb (118 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | High Point Regional (Sussex, New Jersey) | ||||||
College: | Delaware (2011–2014) | ||||||
Position: | Tight end | ||||||
NFL draft: | 2015 / Round: 5 / Pick: 171 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Nicholas Ryan Boyle (born February 17, 1993) is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Delaware and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft.
Boyle played college football at Delaware from 2011 to 2014. [1] [2] [3] [4]
On November 24, 2014, it was announced that Boyle had accepted his invitation to play in the 2015 Senior Bowl. He became the fourth player from Delaware to appear in the Senior Bowl and first since Joe Flacco in 2008. [5] Throughout the week leading up to the Senior Bowl, Boyle performed well at practice and showed scouts and teams his versatility, blocking capability, and his receiving ability. [6] On January 24, 2015, Boyle caught two passes for 31 yards, leading all tight ends, and helped the North defeat the South 34–13. He accepted his invitation to the NFL combine and was one of the 19 tight ends invited. Boyle completed all of the required combine and positional drills. His performance was described by media and analysts as mediocre as he finished last in the 40-yard dash among tight ends and dropped a few passes during positional drills. Boyle finished first among tight ends in the 60-yard shuttle and 20-yard shuttle, eighth in the broad jump, ninth in the vertical jump, and tied for fifth in the bench press. [7] On March 12, 2015, Boyle opted to participate at Delaware's pro day, along with 11 other teammates. He ran his 40-yard dash (5.00), 20-yard dash (2.85), 10-yard dash (1.65), and also performed positional drills. Scouts and representatives from 22 NFL teams attended, including tight ends coaches from the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions. [8] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Boyle was projected to be a fifth or sixth round pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the 11th best tight end prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com. [9]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 268 lb (122 kg) | 33+3⁄8 in (0.85 m) | 10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 5.04 s | 1.81 s | 2.98 s | 4.23 s | 7.13 s | 30+1⁄2 in (0.77 m) | 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) | 20 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine [10] |
The Baltimore Ravens selected Boyle in the fifth round with the 171st overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. [11] He was the ninth tight end selected in the draft and the second tight end selected by the Ravens, with the first being Minnesota's Maxx Williams (second round, 55th overall). [12] He was the 27th player to be drafted from Delaware and became teammates with fellow Delaware alumnus Joe Flacco.
On May 7, 2015, the Baltimore Ravens signed Boyle to a four-year, $2.44 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $166,254. [13]
He competed with Maxx Williams, Crockett Gilmore, Dennis Pitta, and Konrad Reuland throughout training camp for the vacant starting tight end position left by the departure of Owen Daniels. [14]
He made his professional regular season debut in the Ravens' season-opening 19–13 loss to the Denver Broncos. On September 27, 2015, Boyle caught two passes for 19 yards during a 28–24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He made the first reception of his career on a six-yard pass from Joe Flacco in the second quarter. [15] On October 1, 2015, Boyle made his first career start and caught three passes for 12 receiving yards in a 23–20 victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers. During a Week 10 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had three receptions for a season-high 35 receiving yards in the Ravens' 22–20 loss. [16]
On December 7, 2015, it was reported that the NFL would suspend Boyle for four games after violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. He was required to forfeit his salary for four games, equaling $112,132. [13] Boyle was immediately suspended and missed Weeks 14–17. He finished the season with a total of 18 receptions for 153 receiving yards in 11 games and two starts. [16]
On February 19, 2016, it was announced that Boyle would be suspended for the first ten games of the 2016 season for his second violation of the performance-enhancing drug policy. [17] His was activated to the Ravens' active roster on November 26, 2016, prior to Week 12. [18]
On December 4, 2016, Boyle caught two passes for a season-high 24 yards as the Ravens routed the Miami Dolphins 38–6. [19] The following week, he had a season-high three receptions for 15 yards in a 30–23 loss against the New England Patriots. [20] Boyle finished the 2016 season with six receptions for 44 receiving yards in six games and zero starts. [21]
Throughout training camp, Boyle competed with Benjamin Watson, Dennis Pitta, Crockett Gilmore, Maxx Williams, Larry Donnell, and Ryan Malleck for the job as the starting tight end. Head coach John Harbaugh named him the starter for the beginning of the season after Gilmore suffered a torn MCL and Pitta retired after suffering another hip injury. [22]
He started the Ravens' season-opener at the Bengals and had one catch for 14 yards in their 20–0 victory. [23] On October 1, 2017, he caught a career-high five passes for 36 receiving yards in the Ravens 26–9 loss to the Steelers. He missed a Week 9 contest at the Tennessee Titans after suffering a toe injury. [24] He finished the 2017 season with 28 receptions for 203 receiving yards. [25]
After competing with Maxx Williams and rookies Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, Boyle was named the starting tight end to begin the season. Despite being outplayed by the rookie Andrews, Boyle finished the season with 23 receptions for a career-high 213 yards. [26]
On March 7, 2019, Boyle signed a three-year, $18 million contract extension with the Ravens through the 2021 season. [27] Boyle caught his first career touchdown during a Week 9 37–20 victory over the Patriots. [28] He caught his second career touchdown in a Week 14 24-17 win over the Buffalo Bills. [29] Overall, Boyle finished the 2019 season with 31 receptions for 321 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. [30]
In Week 10, Boyle was tackled at the knees, causing the left knee to dislocate inward. [31] He was placed on injured reserve on November 17, 2020. [32] Boyle had 13 receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns on the season. [33]
On January 29, 2021, Boyle agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract extension with the Ravens. [34] This new deal keeps Boyle in contract through the end of the 2023 season. [34] On September 10, 2021, Boyle was placed on short-term injured reserve to start the season. [35] He was activated on November 8, 2021. [36]
Boyle was waived by the Ravens on January 7, 2023, [37] but re-signed to the team's practice squad three days later. [38]
On March 30, 2023, Boyle announced that he was switching from tight end to long snapper. [39] On May 15, Boyle was hosted by the Pittsburgh Steelers for a free agent workout, his first professional action as a long snapper. [40]
Boyle primarily acts as a blocker on offense and special teams, rather than an offensive target, and was considered a key part of the Ravens' rushing success since Lamar Jackson became the team's starting quarterback. He is considered one of the top blocking tight ends in the NFL. [41] [42]
Benjamin Seth Watson is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and Georgia Bulldogs. Watson was selected by the New England Patriots with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft and won Super Bowl XXXIX with the Patriots over the Philadelphia Eagles in his rookie year. He has also played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and New Orleans Saints.
Marcedes Alexis Lewis is an American football tight end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCLA, earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft, and is the only remaining active player from the class as of the 2023 NFL season.
Edward James Dickson is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Oregon and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Kyle Patrick Juszczyk is an American football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Harvard Crimson, and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Luke Michael Willson is a Canadian former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL).
Nelson Efamehule Agholor is a Nigerian-American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. During his five seasons with the Eagles, he won a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LII. Agholor also played one season with the Las Vegas Raiders before joining the New England Patriots.
Tyler Ott is an American football long snapper for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played high school football at Jenks High School in Jenks, Oklahoma, and college football at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
Phillip Steven Supernaw is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Ouachita Baptist University. He was signed by the Houston Texans after going unselected in the 2012 NFL Draft. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tennessee Titans.
Clive Walford is a former American football tight end. He played college football for the University of Miami and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Maxx Williams is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, earning first-team All-American honors in 2014. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Darren Charles Waller is an American football tight end for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Tech and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He is the great-grandson of composer and jazz pianist Fats Waller.
Christopher James Uzomah is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Auburn and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft.
Nick Vannett is an American football tight end for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State. He has been a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos.
Jerell D. Adams is a former American football tight end. He played college football at South Carolina.
David Njoku is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami (FL). He was selected by the Browns in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Jonnu Andre Smith is an American football tight end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at FIU and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. After four seasons with the Titans, he joined the New England Patriots in 2021, and was later traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2023.
Mark Andrews is an American football tight end for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma and was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Andrews has been elected to the Pro Bowl three times and was named to the 2021 All-Pro Team after setting the Ravens' single-season record for receptions and receiving yards.
Hayden Randle Hurst is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Anthony Paul Firkser is an American football tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Harvard and signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He has played in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.
Isaiah Likely is an American football tight end for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Coastal Carolina and was selected by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Boyle, 27, is considered one of the top blocking tight ends in the NFL and is a major reason why the Ravens led the league in rushing the past two seasons.