Tommy Akingbesote

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Buffalo found a legitimate steal in Tommy Akingbesote, earning a solid B CVI on this bargain-bin contract that carries minimal risk with substantial upside. At just $1M per year with zero guaranteed money, the Bills are essentially getting a lottery ticket on a 23-year-old defensive tackle who could develop into a rotation piece or depth contributor without any meaningful financial commitment. The age factor works heavily in Buffalo's favor here — Akingbesote is entering his prime developmental years where defensive linemen typically make their biggest jumps, and the team can cut bait at any point without penalty if he doesn't progress. The contract structure is pure upside for the organization, functioning more like an extended tryout than a traditional deal, which allows them to evaluate his potential while maintaining complete roster flexibility. This represents exactly the type of low-risk, high-reward move that championship-caliber teams make to find hidden gems in the margins, and given Buffalo's defensive line needs, Akingbesote could carve out a meaningful role if he takes the expected leap forward.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Tommy's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Production at DT earns Tommy Akingbesote a C+ performance grade in the current sample. The 23-year-old rookie has logged 4 tackles across 3 games in his 2025 season, a sparse output that places him squarely in the developmental depth-piece tier — productive enough to justify organizational interest, but nowhere near the snap volume or consistency required to challenge for significant playing time. His modest tackle total reflects limited defensive snaps and a narrow window of opportunity, which is the most glaring constraint on his current profile; a seventh-round pick entering a competitive roster, Akingbesote lacks both the pedigree and the early-season production to command meaningful reps. What makes his trajectory intriguing, per the organizational narrative, is his unconventional path — a late-blooming basketball-to-football transition whose raw physical tools project higher upside than his rookie-season floor suggests. The Bills' recent roster activity, including multiple linebacker and receiver signings, signals a front office prioritizing immediate depth over developmental gambling, which situates Akingbesote as a long-term practice squad project rather than a near-term contributor. With the regular season 91 days out, he remains a low-risk organizational flier whose ceiling is theoretical and whose odds of making the active roster hinge entirely on training camp performance and injury circumstances — exactly the kind of dart throw that wins or disappears quietly before anyone remembers the throw was made.

How Tommy Compares at the Position

Tommy Akingbesote ranks 80th of 216 graded defensive tackles by performance. That slots Tommy between Rakeem Nunez-roches (C+) just ahead and Kris Jenkins Jr. (C+) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Tommy Akingbesote's public profile sits at cautious optimism — measured, not enthusiastic — which puts his C sentiment grade about right for a seventh-round developmental prospect still finding his footing at the NFL level. The dominant narrative engine here is his basketball-to-football origin story, which media has latched onto as a hook for "raw upside" framing rather than any evidence of immediate impact; beat coverage consistently positions him as a practice squad project whose ceiling is theoretical and timeline is long. That framing aligns squarely with his D- performance grade — his 2025 season logged 4 tackles across 3 games, the kind of sparse sample that confirms organizational depth status rather than challenger to a roster spot. Headlines like "Bills Land Intriguing Rookie Defensive Tackle After Losing Key Starter" reveal the transactional reality: Buffalo signed him as low-cost insurance, not a solution, and the fanbase reads it exactly that way. The Bills' recent offseason activity — adding Ben VanSumeren, Damar Hamlin on an extension, and multiple other signings — signals a front office in active roster-construction mode, which further marginalizes Akingbesote's standing in the depth chart conversation. With the regular season still 125 days out, there is theoretical runway for the narrative to evolve if he makes noise in training camp, but right now the consensus is settled and unsurprised: a late-blooming dart throw that might pay off in year three, or quietly disappear before it ever does.