Bills Current Low-Profile Positional Battle Could Have ‘Long-Term Implications’

When training camp arrives for the Buffalo Bills on July 23, there’s going to be a sneaky-interesting competition to monitor at backup center between Alec Anderson and fifth-round rookie Sedrick Van Pran-Granger.

Both players currently sit behind Connor McGovern on the depth chart, but whoever wins their competition could have a huge role in the not so distant future.

“While this battle won’t be at the top of everyone’s list, the battle between Anderson and Van Pran-Granger could have long-term implications,” The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote on June 26.

“They would be battling for the backup center role to McGovern, who, as we pointed out, is a free agent in March and may not be in their plans if their re-signing priorities are elsewhere. If their plan is to move on from McGovern, it opens up an opportunity for one of Anderson or Van Pran-Granger to be at the top of their mind for who would be the potential starter in 2026.”

More on Backup Center Competition Between Alec Anderson & Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

@alecanderson700/InstagramOffensive lineman Alec Anderson is battling Sedrick Van Pran-Granger for the Buffalo Bills’ backup center spot.

 

“Because the starting positions are spoken for in 2025, how Anderson and Van Pran-Granger perform in their center reps during camp practices and the preseason could determine who McGovern’s true backup is this season, and if they play well enough, maybe even the Bills’ starting center in 2026,” Buscaglia also noted.

Anderson entered the NFL as a relatively unheralded prospect, signing with the Bills as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2022. After spending his rookie year on the practice squad, he slowly earned the trust of Buffalo’s coaching staff and saw his role grow.

By 2024, Anderson had become a key depth piece along the offensive line, appearing in all 17 regular season games, making four starts and logging over 300 offensive snaps. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell named Anderson the best “sixth offensive lineman” in the NFL

After the 2024 season, Buffalo re-signed Anderson to a one-year deal in February 2025, signaling that they view him as more than a camp body. While he hasn’t locked down a starting job, Anderson is firmly entrenched as one of the Bills’ most trusted swing linemen heading into the 2025 season, and he should have the edge in the backup center competition.

A Closer Look at Van Pran‑Granger

Van Pran‑Granger arrived in the NFL with a much different résumé. A five-star recruit out of New Orleans, he anchored Georgia’s offensive line during one of the most dominant stretches in college football history. From 2021 to 2023, Van Pran started 44 consecutive games at center for the Bulldogs, helping lead them to back-to-back national championships.

His senior year, he won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, awarded to the best offensive lineman in the conference.

Despite being viewed as a Day 2 talent, Van Pran slid to the fifth round of the draft (No. 141 overall), in part due to questions about his lateral agility and ability to handle elite NFL nose tackles one-on-one. The Bills saw a developmental anchor with long-term upside and drafted him with the hope that he could eventually turn into a solid O-lineman.

Heading into 2025, Van Pran took snaps at both center and left guard in OTAs, and that should continue throughout camp. He’ll need a king-sized effort to win the backup center spot, but he’s got a shot.