Bills OC Joe Brady praises late-round pick’s talent, character

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger’s resume is not typically available in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.

He was a three-year starter and multi-year captain for a Georgia Bulldogs team that was historically dominant throughout his tenure, anchoring an offensive line that set the tone for a program that won two national championships throughout. throughout Van Pran-Granger’s academic career. He matched his leadership ability with excellence on the field, earning All-SEC honors in the 2023 season in addition to finishing as a finalist for the Dave Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.

Van Pran-Granger’s physical profile may have prompted him to slide a bit in the 2024 NFL Draft despite his resume. some prognosticators project the 22-year-old solely as a center at the professional level.

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His perceived lack of positional versatility is apparently not a problem for the Buffalo Bills; after moving on from solid starter Mitch Morse in the offseason, the team needs a center. Connor McGovern, who started 17 games for Buffalo at left guard last season, plans to move to center in the 2024 season, but he could be a stopgap option while the team secures its center of the future.

Enter Van Pran-Granger.

The team selected the Georgia lineman with the 141st overall pick in the 2024 draft, adding not only an immediate depth option, but also a potential long-term piece. Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady spoke about Van Pran-Granger before an OTA practice Tuesday at Orchard Park, praising him both as a football player and as a human being.

“Take away the football element, just the person and the personality,” Brady said. “When you play at a school like that and you’re a three-time captain… that doesn’t happen. You know the type of person you’re hiring, the type of work ethic, the type of preparation. You get a football player and you do the right things.

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“Then you put him on the football field, he played against the best of the best for three years and didn’t flinch. Having the ability to be athletic enough to be able to do everything we’re looking for in our center, be strong and give the quarterback a nice pocket. We didn’t think he would be there at that time, and we were happy that he was.

Buffalo’s current brass historically values ​​character almost as much as ability, and Van Pran-Granger seems like a good fit in that regard. It’s hard to imagine him usurping McGovern on the depth chart as a rookie, but if the team ultimately opts to keep the veteran at left guard, the center spot would appear to be Van Pran-Granger’s to lose.

Even if the rookie doesn’t contribute immediately, he appears to be a potential long-term building block for the Bills offensive line. Giving an SEC starter three years a year to develop under Aaron Kromer, who is widely considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the league, seems like an attractive scenario.