ORCHARD PARK — Men the size of Travis Clayton shouldn't be able to move the way he does nor as gracefully.
At 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, Clayton runs the 40-yard dash in 4.81 seconds and has a 26-inch vertical jump. He might be pound-for-pound the most athletic player the Buffalo Bills have on their roster.
But every moment Clayton spends thinking about where he is supposed to go, his size and athleticism diminish. For Clayton to unlock all the tools at his disposal, he needs to play with a clear mind.
For someone who has a grand total of 22 snaps — in the preseason — on his football resume, that's a difficult ask.
A seventh-round pick in 2024, Clayton was introduced to the Bills through the International Pathway Program. A rugby player from Basingstoke, England, Clayton had never played a football game in his life.
His size and attributes being too much to pass up, the Bills tried for two seasons to play offensive tackle. Clayton struggled and he knew it. So during the offseason Clayton asked general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Joe Brady if he could move to defensive line.
The Bills agreed and now Clayton is trying to find his place once again as he tries to establish a foothold in the NFL, something few international players have been able to accomplish long-term.
"(In rugby) you're taking off our position, you're on the balls of your feet, you're taking off your man directly forward," Clayton told GNN Sports. "In a sense, it's kind of similar to my position now playing a big (defensive) end. You might have to react if it's pass or run, but a lot of the time you're just getting your stance and going vertical."
During his first padded practice during training camp as a rookie, Clayton's teammates had to show him how to put his pads in his pants properly. Clayton eventually got dressed, but didn't make it to the end of practice as he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of action for the remainder of the season.
Last year Clayton made it through training camp and finally got a taste of an actual game. He played 19 snaps in the preseason opener at left tackle, but saw just six the following week and didn't play in the preseason finale.
Because teams with an IPP player get an extra roster spot, Clayton spent last season on the practice squad. He also missed a chunk of the season with a wrist injury. Not only was Clayton attempting to learn a new sport mentally, but he wasn't able to allow his body to go where his brain wanted it to.
"I think it's just taking a bit of time for my body to get used to a different sport, to be honest," Clayton said. "But I just look at those things as a blessing. Everything happens for a reason and that's why we are here today."
Whenever a player tries football later in life, the normal thinking is to put him on defense. It's more reactionary rather than attempting to learn a playbook verbatim.
Clayton's first steps as an offensive tackle on passing plays are backwards, which is a foreign concept to him athletically. Footwork, hand placement, leverage and assignment all have to be in sync. Clayton still must have all of those traits in alignment as a defensive tackle, but there is less thinking — or overthinking.
"It's been fun and interesting here," said Bills defensive line coach Terrance Jamison, who previously worked for the University of Illinois. "The last five years I've had a former O-lineman get moved over to the defensive line room. … Travis is engaged. He loves it and guys love him. Any play he makes fires up the whole defense."
Clayton still seems like a long shot to be a consistent active-roster player. Of the 68 players to enter the NFL from the IPP, Clayton is one of five to be drafted.
Only Eagles All-Pro offensive tackle Jordan Mailata and defensive end Efe Obada , who played 80 games over seven seasons (including 10 with the Bills in 2021), have been able to carve out careers with longevity despite never playing in college. But the Bills also don't have to rush his progress because of the added roster spot that comes with him.
The Bills previously tried English rugby player at Christian Wade at running back and gave him four seasons from 2019-2022. Clayton's attributes being rare for his size, the Bills are satisfied giving him an opportunity to return their investment.
"When you see his size move with momentum and power and move bodies and move objects through drills and also go from east to west with that athleticism and explosiveness? That's impressive," Jamison said.
