From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Buffalo linebacker Shaun Dolac.
No. 52 SHAUN DOLAC/LB BUFFALO – 6010, 221 POUNDS (5TH-YEAR SENIOR)
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Shaun Dolac | 6010/221 | 9 3/8 | 30 | 74 3/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.63 | N/A | 4.22 | 6.93 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’8″ | 35.5 | 24 |
THE GOOD
– Decent athletic ability
– Solid lateral speed
– Adequate block shedding ability when moving downhill
– Great production
– Never comes off the field
– Team leader; calls out teammate assignments
– Flies to the ball at all times
– Secure tackler in the box
THE BAD
– Played against poor competition
– Runs to spot drop while losing awareness of receivers
– Fails to get collisions on receivers down the field
– Out of control feet when closing in on ball carriers; leads to missed tackles
– Play strength can be exposed at times
– Can get moved down the field by powerful offensive linemen
– Bad contact balance on the move
– Does not shed blocks moving laterally
– Gets completely fooled by play action and keys pullers for way too long
BIO
– Started 32 games across 5 years at Buffalo. Transferred to Utah State for the Spring 2023 season before returning back to Buffalo
– 2024: led the nation with 168 tackles, 18.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 5 interceptions, and 5 PBU’s
– Named MAC-Defensive Player of the Year
– Tabbed a Consensus All-American
– Finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy (award given to player that started as a walk-on)
– 2023: only started the first 4 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Recorded 32 tackles, 2.5 TFL, and 1 interception
– 2022: 147 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, and 7 PBU’s
– Named All-MAC First-Team
– Semifinalist for Burlsworth Trophy
– Three-time Academic All-MAC selection
– Attended Milford Academy for 1 year, a post-secondary school, where he won Defensive Player of the Year
– Graduate from West Seneca East High School, where he played running back and linebacker
– Named Buffalo News Player of the Year and All-WNY First Team
– Dolac returned to Buffalo to represent his hometown and region and be an inspiration for local kids
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Shaun Dolac had an extremely productive college career and was named Buffalo’s first All-American in program history. He led the country in tackles; you can see why on tape. To start, he does a good job shedding blocks in the box, and when he has eyes on the running back, he has quick closing speed to secure the tackle. Most of his tackles come from him working downhill in the box and doing a good job of keeping his shoulders square to bring the opponent down. He also has positive lateral speed, and when he is the free man, he can chase down a running back from across the field.
As an athlete, he has a solid burst and good bend, which makes him effective at shedding blocks near the line of scrimmage. On this play, he works downhill towards the center and uses good hands to shake him off, securing the tackle as the second man to the ball.
Along with his ability to tackle in the short area of the field, Dolac is a true leader. He calls out teammates’ assignments pre-snap and, post-snap, uses his hands to direct traffic and create open lanes for tackles. He never came off the field for Buffalo and was dedicated to his team when he had opportunities to play elsewhere. He is a locker room leader and can be a glue guy for NFL teams.
While I like some of his abilities and mindset, I have issues with many of the abilities he possesses as a player. While I spoke highly about his ability to secure tackles near the line of scrimmage, I think he is unreliable in the open field due to his out-of-control feet and poor angles. He never breaks down in the open field and gets overwhelmed, resulting in him diving at the runners’ feet or going way too high where they can avoid the hit. He missed a tackle in this play to give the receiver extra yards in the red zone.
Dolac does a good job of block shedding when working downhill, but it is the complete opposite when going laterally, which was exposed vs Missouri, a heavy outside zone team. His play strength makes me wonder how much he can play in the NFL, as he was seen getting pancaked in 1v1 situations, moving laterally, and shoved to the ground with a simple punch. He does not handle double teams well and gets completely erased from his gap on this play, but I think it shows more about his low contact balance and strength when moving towards the sideline. The offensive lineman hardly gives him a shove, and he is on the ground.
On counter runs, he will read his keys, which were the guards, for way too long. This led to misfit gaps and was more exposed in play action. I understand linebackers need to key their man for a certain amount of time, but the awareness to get off the key at a certain point is necessary to put yourself back in the play. Dolac fails to do this in many instances, and it will lead to explosive plays.
On play action, it leads to him being completely out of his zone and an open window for a quarterback to throw to. Or, it can lead to a wide-open spot for a quarterback to run through, leading to explosive plays and touchdowns. On this play, he keys the guard for an unreasonable amount of time. The clip is cut short, but this quarterback run led to a touchdown.
Dolac does a fine job in pass coverage, but I think he is a “paper player.” This means he reads the play call on a sheet and does exactly what it says, not adjusting to the offense’s actions. This is an enormous red flag as a linebacker because of how often they are in zone coverage.
It is imperative for defenders to work off what receivers are doing, and Dolac does not do this. For example, on this play, he is a flat defender in cover 4, and he runs exactly to where he is supposed to be, but he fails to see that there is no threat out there to cover.
The quarterback reads this and gets an easy completion to the running back because Dolac overran the route. If he played with good awareness, he would slow down his track and cut the running back off. If the running back stays out to the flat, he can easily chase him down towards the sideline.
Another pet peeve is when linebackers fail to get depth when there are no underneath threats. The high IQ players will always sink to block off deep crossers, but staying in your exact spot is exactly what the offense wants. The crosser is not targeted on this play, but Dolac is caught staring at the max-protected quarterback when no one is underneath. If the quarterback is looking his way, this is an explosive play.
He does a decent job of staying with running backs in man coverage, but I would not want him to live like this. He has solid ball skills and breaks passes up. He needs to work on getting collisions with receivers running vertically and not letting them pass by his zone with no repercussions. This causes free releases from receivers and allows them to sneak behind him.
CONCLUSION
Shaun Dolac has some positive traits, including his downhill block shedding, solid athletic ability, and leadership capabilities. However, the deficiencies in his game are hard to overlook. He needs to improve his play strength, zone coverage awareness, and in-space tackling to make a team in the NFL. My comp for him is James Burgess.
Projection: Mid-Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 6.1 – Sixth-Seventh Round (End of Roster/Practice Squad)
Games Watched: at Missouri (2024), at Ohio (2024), vs Liberty (2024)
