Travis Clayton

Travis Clayton (born February 17, 2001) is an English professional American football defensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played rugby union in England and joined the NFL as part of the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), being selected by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Early life Clayton grew up in Basingstoke, Hampshire, in England. He played a number of sports growing up, including association football, rowing and boxing, before later focusing on rugby union. He played football as a member of the Fulham Academy and later had stints with Reading, Southampton and Chelsea. Four years later, he decided to give the sport another shot.

Clayton spent ten weeks learning the sport while training at IMG Academy. He received praise for his pro day performance, measuring at and with a 7-foot (2.1 m) wingspan, while running the 40-yard dash in 4.81 seconds. Although never having played in a game of American football before, he was chosen in the seventh round of the draft – 221st overall – by the Buffalo Bills, becoming the second-ever IPPP participant to be drafted after Mailata.

On August 26, 2025, Clayton was released by the Bills as part of final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. On January 19, 2026, he signed a reserve/futures contract with Buffalo. For the 2026 season, Clayton switched positions and began to work on the defensive line.