Last season’s top tackle reserve spent a lot of time injured. Can he stay healthy this year?
The Buffalo Bills have a plethora of offensive linemen. Their depth up front is enviable, as they have multiple players who can slot in at multiple positions, and they have multiple players who likely could play larger roles with other clubs.
The Bills like to trade from their offensive line depth, adding draft capital through flips of backup offensive linemen. That’s a smart strategy given the dearth of adequate offensive line play in the league right now. General manager Brandon Beane has made it a priority to find versatile, strong linemen whose athletic traits give them plenty of potential for growth.
In today’s installment of “90 players in 90 days,” we discuss one such young offensive lineman looking to retain his position on the 53-man roster.
Name: Tylan Grable
Number: 68
Position: T
Height/Weight: 6’5”, 309 pounds
Age: 25 (26 on 10/4/2025)
Experience/Draft: 2; selected by Buffalo in the sixth round (No. 204 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft
College: UCF
Acquired: Sixth-round draft choice
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Grable enters the second year of his four-year rookie contract, a pact worth $4,189,912 overall. For the 2025 season, Grable’s cap hit is $1,002,478 if he makes the 53-man roster. If he’s released, the Bills will carry a dead-cap hit of $127,434.
2024 Recap: Grable made the 53-man roster as a rookie, and he was active for the team’s first three games as the swing tackle. While he only played on special teams in the season opener, he played a combined seven offensive snaps in the team’s next two victories.
However, in their 47-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Grable suffered a groin injury that forced the team to place him on Injured Reserve (IR). He returned from IR in time for the regular-season finale, and he played every offensive snap at left tackle in Buffalo’s loss to the New England Patriots.
He played five offensive snaps in Buffalo’s blowout victory over the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card Playoffs, and while he was active for the Bills’ next two playoff contests, he did not play in either.
Positional outlook: Grable is one of eight offensive tackles on the current roster. Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown, Ryan Van Demark, Chase Lundt, Travis Clayton, Richard Gouraige, and Alec Anderson are the others.
2025 Offseason: Grable is healthy and participating in training camp. He and Ryan Van Demark have alternated taking first-team reps in place of an injured Spencer Brown so far. Grable was with the first team on day one, Van Demark was with the first team on day two, and they have alternated in that pattern so far.
2025 Season outlook: Given Brown’s history of back issues, it’s not a stretch to assume that either Van Demark or Grable will start a game this season. Given that Brown is missing time early here, it’s easy to assume that start will happen sooner rather than later.
Grable was given first crack at first-team reps, and he was the active tackle last season when both he and Van Demark were healthy. It’s not a stretch to believe that not only do the Bills view Grable as the third offensive tackle, but that he’ll start games this year.
Grable is a good athlete who showed flashes last season. He was injured when Brown missed a game, so Van Demark started against the Kansas City Chiefs in the regular season, but it’s likely that the Bills would have been comfortable starting Grable in that game had he been active and available.
Grable is going to be on the 53-man roster once again if he’s healthy, and unless Brown makes it back and can show that he’s in game shape by the end of the summer, there’s a chance that Grable is the starting right tackle when the regular season opens against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bills have plenty of depth along the offensive line, and Grable is a reason why the team can feel confident trading some of it. He has shown himself to be a strong offensive tackle, and he has the ability to kick inside and play guard, as well. Grable is as close to a roster lock as there can be for someone expected to be a reserve this season.