RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesDENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 17: Spencer Brown #79 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates a touchdown scored by Keon Coleman against the Denver Broncos during the third quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Empower Field At Mile High on January 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Buffalo Bills have worked tirelessly to build a strong offensive line. Protecting the franchise quarterback is essential, and president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane has done well to surround Josh Allen with an excellent group of protectors. However, that offensive line group is also opening holes for people like NFL rushing leader James Cook III.
Whether via the draft or free agency, Beane has not been shy about ensuring that Buffalo has plenty of depth up front. Perhaps ironically, the Bills don’t have any projected starters on the offensive line who were first-round draft picks, but that same factoid also shows how well Beane and the team’s scouting staff has identified quality players on the offensive line.
In today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss a former third-round pick of the Bills who has developed into an elite presence at right tackle. _____________________________________________________________________________
Name: Spencer Brown
Number: 79
Position: RT
Height/Weight: 6’8”, 311 pounds
Age: 28 (29 on 2/28/2027)
Experience/Draft: 6; selected by Buffalo in the third round (No. 93 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft
College: Northern Iowa
Acquired: Third-round draft choice
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Brown enters the second year of the four year, $72 million extension he signed prior to last season. His cap hit for the 2026 season is $8.181 million. If he’s released, Buffalo would carry a dead cap charge in excess of $32 million, which they would split between this season ($9,677,000) and next season ($22,580,000).
2025 Recap: Brown started at right tackle for the Bills once again last season, and he brought the nasty to the offensive line as he has for his entire career. He continued to show out as one of the best run blockers at right tackle in the NFL, earning a top-ten run block grade from Pro Football Focus . The analytics site graded him at an 85.3 in that phase of the game, which was seventh among 89 qualifying offensive tackles. PFF wasn’t as rosy on Brown as a pass blocker, grading him at a 61.3, which was 66th among 89 qualifying offensive tackles. Overall, his grade was a 76.6, which was 20th at his position. Brown was called for just four penalties , a huge improvement from the 15 flags he drew during the 2025 season. He missed three games last year, sitting in Week Four against the New Orleans Saints thanks to a calf issue before he missed games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals later in the season thanks to a shoulder injury. He returned to play in time for the playoffs, though, and started both of Buffalo’s playoff contests.
Positional outlook: Brown is one of six players listed at offensive tackle on the current roster. Dion Dawkins and Chase Lundt are listed only at tackle. Jude Bowry and Tylan Grable are listed at tackle and guard. Travis Clayton is listed as an offensive tackle, but he played some defensive tackle during offseason workouts.
2026 Offseason: Brown says he will be ready for the first day of training camp, but he missed time this offseason while he recouperated from his various injuries last season. He had a minor knee surgery this offseason, as well.
2026 Season outlook: Barring something strange, Brown will be the starting right tackle once again this season. He earned every bit of that huge extension, and while injuries prevented him from playing in all 17 games last season, there’s no question that Buffalo’s offensive line is better when he’s available. Availability has really been the only question mark with Brown during his career. Only once—in 2023—did Brown play every game. However, Brown has never played fewer than 13 games in a season, either.
With a newcomer entering the line at left guard, it will be nice to see the right side continue to work as a unit, as Brown and right guard O’Cyrus Torrence will work together yet again. In terms of expected points added (EPA), the right side of Buffalo’s offensive line was tied for the eleventh-best combination in the league last year, as runs to that direction resulted in .07 EPA per play. Buffalo has a lot of beef on that right side, and Brown combines mountainous size with superb athleticism, which allows him to do plenty of damage at multiple levels of the defense while clearing room for a potent rushing attack.
In short, there isn’t any drama here. If Brown is healthy, he is the starter at right tackle. If he is the starter at right tackle, then the Bills are in good hands.
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