Buffalo Bills Unlikely to Keep 2024 Draft Pick Sedrick Van Pran-Granger on Roster

The addition of veteran center Lloyd Cushenberry could push the 2024 fifth-round selection out of a roster spot.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 2:21pm

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The Buffalo Bills used a 2024 fifth-round draft pick to select Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger as a potential backup plan after releasing veteran Mitch Morse. However, with the Bills recently securing starting center Connor McGovern through 2028 and signing free agent Lloyd Cushenberry, who has 80 career starts, Van Pran-Granger appears to be the odd man out on the Bills' roster. Head coach Joe Brady praised Cushenberry's experience, suggesting he could have been the team's starting center if they had lost McGovern in free agency.

Why it matters

The Bills' decision to prioritize Cushenberry over Van Pran-Granger highlights the team's depth at the center position and the challenge for young players to earn a roster spot, even after being drafted. This move could also impact the Bills' draft strategy going forward, as they may be less inclined to use high picks on backup centers if they can find experienced veterans in free agency.

The details

The Bills selected Van Pran-Granger in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft as a potential backup to starting center Connor McGovern. However, the team has since signed veteran free agent Lloyd Cushenberry, who has 80 career starts and an endorsement from head coach Joe Brady. Brady suggested that Cushenberry could have been the team's starting center if they had lost McGovern in free agency, indicating that Van Pran-Granger is now likely the third-string center behind McGovern and Cushenberry.

  • The Bills released veteran center Mitch Morse as a salary cap casualty after the 2023 season.
  • The Bills selected Sedrick Van Pran-Granger in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
  • The Bills recently signed center Connor McGovern to a contract extension through 2028.
  • The Bills signed veteran free agent center Lloyd Cushenberry in the 2026 offseason.

The players

Joe Brady

The head coach of the Buffalo Bills, who praised the signing of veteran center Lloyd Cushenberry.

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

A 2024 fifth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills, who is now likely the third-string center on the team's roster.

Connor McGovern

The starting center for the Buffalo Bills, who the team recently signed to a contract extension through 2028.

Lloyd Cushenberry

A veteran free agent center who the Buffalo Bills signed in the 2026 offseason, and who head coach Joe Brady suggested could have been the team's starting center if they had lost McGovern in free agency.

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What they’re saying

“Lloyd's a starting center in the NFL. You go through the process, going into free agency, there was a chance we lost both Connor and David [Edwards]. It was keeping me up at night with some of those thoughts. Lloyd was a guy, I know he's coming off of an injury, but Lloyd was a possibility of being our starter, or just a guy that we would think about as a starter.”

— Joe Brady, Head Coach, Buffalo Bills

What’s next

The Bills will need to decide whether to keep Sedrick Van Pran-Granger on the roster as a third-string center or explore trade options to recoup a late-round draft pick.

The takeaway

The Bills' decision to prioritize veteran experience at center over a young draft pick highlights the challenges for young players to earn roster spots, even after being drafted. This move could also impact the team's future draft strategy as they may be less inclined to use high picks on backup centers if they can find experienced veterans in free agency.