Tommy DeVito Offers Draft Wisdom to Fellow Syracuse Alum Dan Villari
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Tommy DeVito knows a thing or two about navigating the NFL’s winding road. From going undrafted to becoming a fan favorite with the Giants and now backing up in New England as the Patriots prepare for Super Bowl LX, DeVito’s journey has been anything but conventional. So when he crossed paths with Dan Villari - a tight end prospect out of Syracuse who just competed in the Senior Bowl - the connection was instant.
“I’ve met him a couple times,” DeVito said. “We have a lot of similar friends and friend groups with him being from the area.”
DeVito hails from New Jersey, Villari from Long Island. But the overlap runs deeper than geography.
Both started their college careers as quarterbacks - Villari began at Michigan before switching positions and transferring to Syracuse, while DeVito took the opposite route, starting at Syracuse and finishing his college career at Illinois. Now, they even share the same agent in Sean Stellato, known almost as much for his signature fedora as his client list.
DeVito’s already helped Villari with one of the biggest early-career decisions: choosing representation. And while the NFL path ahead for Villari remains uncertain, DeVito’s been there - and he’s offering the kind of advice that only someone who’s walked that tightrope can give.
“Just do what helped you get to this point,” DeVito said. “This draft process is so stressful.
It’s nonstop - people pulling you in every direction. One person tells you one thing, your agent tells you another.
This round, that round. But nobody’s signed anything yet.
They can tell you you’re going first overall, and it might not happen.”
That uncertainty? It’s part of the ride. And DeVito’s message is clear: embrace it.
“Enjoy the process,” he said. “Each journey is special in its own way.
Mine? I went undrafted.
That part sucked. It was bittersweet.
But I got an opportunity - and that’s all you can ask for. So enjoy waking up and grinding out those 40-yard dashes, enjoy the media, enjoy being celebrated.
Because not everyone gets this shot.”
Villari, projected by some as a Day Three pick, sits in that liminal space - not a lock for the early rounds, but a name that could still be called. If he does go undrafted, like DeVito, he may even have the rare luxury of choosing between multiple offers as a free agent.
And that’s where DeVito’s experience really hits home.
“Usually, money talks,” he said. “If a team’s offering you a good amount of guaranteed money, they want you for a reason.”
But he also knows that sometimes the right fit outweighs the biggest paycheck.
“For me, I did the opposite,” DeVito admitted. “I had a really significant guarantee from Washington.
But I chose New York. I can’t even tell you why - it was just a gut feeling.
My bags were packed to go somewhere else, and I ended up unpacking them right at home.”
That decision turned out to be a pivotal one. DeVito got his shot with the Giants, made the most of it, and now finds himself one game away from a Super Bowl ring.
His advice to Villari? Keep every door open, and treat every conversation like it matters - because in the NFL, it often does.
“You never know who you’re talking to,” DeVito said. “You’ll meet coaches, staff, personnel - and things change fast.
It’s a revolving door. Someone you met at the Senior Bowl could be on a different team next month.
Don’t burn any bridges. Be genuine.
Because you never know when you’ll cross paths with them again.”
Villari’s next steps are still unfolding. But with guidance from someone who’s lived the highs and lows of the NFL grind, he’s got a solid blueprint - not just for making it, but for making it count.