The Bills moving 2024 seventh-round pick Travis Clayton from offensive to defensive line, per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News.
Clayton, 25, is a native of Basingstoke, England and a converted rugby player who arrived in the NFL via the International Player Pathway program. His size and athleticism inspired comparisons to Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata and excited the Bills enough to select him with their final pick of the 2024 draft (No. 221 overall).
Clayton suffered a shoulder injury during his first training camp and spent his rookie season on injured reserve. Last year, he appeared in two preseason games with 22 snaps at left tackle, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and did not make the 53-man roster. He stayed on the practice squad for the entire season but did not receive any elevations.
The Bills have starting offensive tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown under contract through 2028 with third-year UDFA Alec Anderson, 2024 sixth-rounder Tylan Grable, and 2025 sixth-rounder Chase Lundt all providing young developmental depth.
Buffalo’s defensive line also has a combination of proven veterans (Ed Oliver, DeWayne Carter) and recent draft picks (Deone Walker, T.J. Sanders, Zane Durant). Clayton is in just his third year playing football and is currently going through a crash course in defensive line play, so he faces an uphill path to making the 53-man roster. However, lining up on the defensive side of the trenches allows for more attacking, instinctive play that might be a smooth transition for a player who is still relatively new to the sport.