The Buffalo Bills under general manager Brandon Beane have done a good job building offensive line depth. Beane has a type, too, as he often takes shots at very athletic pieces up front who have the athleticism to play at multiple positions.
If you’re going to be a backup offensive lineman in Buffalo, you need to know how to play multiple positions. That isn’t an official mantra for the club, but it’s proven to be a philosophy they follow throughout the last few years. Even if a player has limited experience at a secondary position, the Bills will often cross-train their reserves to give themselves greater flexibility with the active roster on Sundays.
In today’s installment of “91 players in 91 days, we discuss a rookie offensive lineman who likely won’t contribute much this year, but who could make a push for time in 2027 and beyond.
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Name: Jude Bowry
Number: 74
Position: T/G
Height/Weight: 6’5” 314 lbs.
Age: 22 (23 on 8/19/2026)
Experience/Draft: R; selected by Buffalo in the fourth round (No. 102 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft
College: Boston College
Acquired: Fourth-round draft choice
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Bowry’s four-year rookie deal is worth a total of $5,720,744 overall. For the 2026 season, his cap hit is $1,203,936 if he makes the 53-man roster. Buffalo will carry a dead cap charge of $1,275,744 if he’s released.
2025 Recap: Bowry missed three games due to injury during his final NCAA campaign, but overall, he was an important member of the Eagles’ offense. He was the starting left tackle for the second consecutive season, but for the first time, Bowry was also named team captain. Under head coach Bill O’Brien, BC was just 2-10 last season, averaging 25.4 points per game on offense. Bowry accepted an invite to play in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl. At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, he tested quite well overall, posting a 34.5” vertical, a 9’7” broad jump, and a 5.08-second forty-yard dash. At BC’s Pro Day, he completed 24 reps of the 225-pound bench press. His 9.40 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) placed him at No. 98 out of 1,606 offensive tackles analyzed since 1987.
Positional outlook: Bowry and Tylan Grable are both listed at tackle/guard. The other tackles on the current roster are Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown, Chase Lundt, and Travis Clayton. The other guards on the roster are Ar’Maj Reed-Adams, O’Cyrus Torrence, Connor McGovern, Austin Corbett, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Bruno Fina, Da’Metrius Weatherspoon, Nick Broeker, and Alec Anderson.
2026 Offseason: Bowry has worked mostly as the second-team left tackle this summer, but he has taken some first-team reps when Dion Dawkins was out.
2026 Season outlook: Barring injury, Bowry has little chance at earning a starting role this season. Spencer Brown and Dion Dawkins are set at right tackle and left tackle, respectively, and while Bowry carries a guard designation on the roster, he has little experience there and has worked mostly at tackle. He’s likely competing for the job as Buffalo’s primary swing tackle right now given that it’s where he played in college and it’s where he’s spent most of his time this summer.
That time has been well spent, too, as Bowry’s play has received near-universal positive feedback. Head coach Joe Brady called him a rookie who “doesn’t blink,” among other positives, and Patrick Moran noted that Bowry has outperformed Grable throughout camp practices. Bowry’s draft status made him a likely lock for the roster, but it’s fair to say that his early performance has solidified that thought.
Bowry likely will not only make the 53-man roster, but he’ll likely be the active reserve offensive tackle on game days, as well. Last season, Buffalo kept a Day Three rookie offensive tackle in Chase Lundt, but he was often inactive on Sundays. I don’t think Bowry will suffer that same fate, as he’ll likely be one of the eight linemen the team dresses for games. He could see some time as a sixth offensive lineman, if the Bills choose to go that route, but he’ll likely appear only on special teams unless Brown or Dawkins are injured.
The real question about Bowry comes after this season, as Dawkins is set to count $25 million against the 2027 salary cap. Could the Bills release Dawkins, save $12 million in doing so, and turn over Josh Allen’s blindside protection to Bowry? For the rookie, that has to be the goal he’s working towards. Just because we don’t expect him to play much in 2026 doesn’t mean that he won’t, however. If you recall, Dawkins was drafted as insurance at tackle, and he was expected to be a reserve as a rookie. However, when starting left tackle Cordy Glenn suffered a series of injuries, Dawkins stepped into the role and never looked back.
Jude Bowry likely won’t start this season, but if he does, it seems that the head coach thinks he has what it takes to play well if the need arises. He’s a rookie to watch once preseason action begins.