Bills Camp Position Preview: Interior Line - Projected Starters, One to Watch
As the Buffalo Bills prepare for the upcoming season, several roster hopefuls will use the coming weeks to make their respective cases to earn a spot on the 53-man final product.
With the Bills having concluded mandatory minicamp, all eyes will soon be on training camp for position battles and individual performances.
In that vein, here is our early positional preview along the interior of the offensive line.
Cred: The Buffalo News
Current Depth:
David Edwards, Alec Anderson, Keaton Bills, Gunner Britton, Connor McGovern, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Will Clapp, O’Cyrus Torrence, Kevin Jarvis
Projected Starters:
David Edwards, Left Guard
Edwards joined the Bills this past offseason on a one-year deal, playing mostly a reserve role on the offensive line. He played all 17 games in 2023, and played 13 percent of the team's offensive snaps, mostly as an extra lineman/eligible receiver. Before coming to Buffalo, Edwards spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, where he played 95 percent of the offensive snaps on their offensive line between 2020 and 2022.
Connor McGovern, Center
McGovern began his NFL career with the Cowboys as their third-round Draft selection (No. 90 overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Larksville, PA native signed with the Bills in March 2023. Throughout his five-year career, he has played in 62 games, starting 46 of them. After the departure of longtime center Mitch Morse this offseason, McGovern has been the consensus choice to replace him as Buffalo’s starting center. While McGovern’s veteran savvy is likely to earn him the majority of the first-team overall reps to begin camp,
O’Cyrus Torrence, Right Guard
Though his position as a starter was far from being confirmed during last season’s training camp, Torrence ended up starting all 17 games for the Bills in 2023 — taking all 1164 snaps (100 percent) on offense. He also took 80 snaps on special teams. Aside from some early questions surrounding his quickness in pass protection, he possesses solid, pro-level fundamentals. Torrence is at his best in run-blocking schemes, while remaining physically resistant at the point of contact. His versatility allows him to play either on the left or right.
One to Watch: Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
Buffalo’s fifth-round (No. 141 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft was a three-year starter for the Georgia Bulldogs — anchoring the middle of an offensive line which produced two College Football Playoff (CFP) national championships in 2021 and 2022.
The 6-4, 310-pound lineman earned first-team All SEC honors last season, and was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Award, which is bestowed annually upon the conference's best blocker. He is most effective in the ground game at the point of attack and, but has also developed into a reliable pass protector.
Best of the Rest: Keaton Bills
While Bills may have the perfect name to play in western New York, he may have an uphill battle to make the roster this season. Still, the Utah product has the skill set to be an effective pro, even as a rookie. During the 2021 season, Bills he appeared in 12 games, eight as a starter for the Utes. In 2022, Bills played all 14 games for Utah with 12 as a starter, being named an honorable mention to the All-Pac-12 Conference at the end of the year. He returned for the 2023 season and started 12 games, being named an honorable mention All-Pac-12 player for the second time. Bills is expected to compete with Alec Anderson and Gunner Britton for the reserve spot behind David Edwards.