Insider Approves of Buffalo Bills’ Choice to Draft Non-Football ‘Freak’ [LISTEN]

The Buffalo Bills have purchased their next metaphorical lottery ticket, according to Matt Parrino.

Parrino, the Bills' beat reporter with Syracuse.com, joined The Drive with Dan Bahl on Monday to discuss Buffalo's selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. Among the topics of discussion, Parrino told us about Travis Clayton, who Buffalo selected in the seventh round.

You may think to yourself I don't recognize that name, which college program did Clayton come from?

The answer would be...none. Clayton, who was born in 2001, is a native of England. He's a rugby player by nature, and was first exposed to American football in 2019 through the NFL's London Academy, but has never actually played a snap of competitive football.

He is, however, an athletic freak, according to Parrino.

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As Parrino told us, this player is a promising prospect. NFL evaluators told him that, if a team is able to tap into his potential, he could end up being a mainstay in the National Football League. He told us that the Bills bought themselves a "lottery ticket" in Clayton, and now, the team will have to hope that he can become their metaphorical million-dollar winner.

READ MORE: Buffalo Bills Make Head-Scratching Trades in 2024 NFL Draft

Clayton emerged on the radar of NFL teams in January of 2024, as he was one of 16 athletes chosen to participate on the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP). He spent ten weeks training at IMG Academy, and turned heads with his performance at his pro day.

He ran a 4.79 second 40-yard dash, faster than any other offensive lineman at the NFL Combine.

So, with the first pick of the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, a pick that Buffalo had acquired from Kansas City two days prior, the Bills took a chance on Clayton. It's a fascinating story, and one that we'll have to monitor as the team gets closer to training camp.

Scroll below to hear our full conversation with Syracuse.com's Matt Parrino. The specific conversation about Travis Clayton occurs roughly seven minutes into the first part of the interview.