ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Last season the Buffalo Bills went to London for a game in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But in the NFL Draft they decided to bring London to them.
With their final pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the Bills selected Travis Clayton from the International Pathway Program.
Clayton, who is 6'7", 301 pounds and runs a 4.8 40-yard dash is an exceptional athlete, he just doesn't have much experience playing American football.
“It was a dream to get my name called out, and that’s the main goal, that’s exactly what I wanted," Clayton said after he was picked by the Bills in the seventh round. “It’s the NFL, man. Buffalo came to me, Buffalo wanted me, and I’m just ready to work.”
Bills GM Brandon Beane acknowledged that a pick like this comes with risk. But it's also a way of taking advantage of an NFL rule that rewards teams for selecting a player from overseas. Every team with a player from the International Pathway Program will get an extra spot on their practice squad.
“We’re excited,” Beane said. “Obviously he’s going to be raw, and this will be new to him, but his workout was impressive.”
Clayton is from Basingstoke, a town in Southern England. He grew up playing rugby, boxing, and soccer. In Buffalo he'll work with the offensive lineman, likely starting at tackle.
“Being an offensive lineman, being able to take your anger out on people legally, that’s great. And I can just use my strength and my abilities.”
So will this work out? It's a long shot. But the Bills are betting on Clayton's upside and he's totally okay with that.
"(I'm) excited, ambitious, and I'm ready to get going," Clayton said. "I've trained for this so I'm ready to give all I've got."
