He played college football for the University of Colorado Boulder and professionally for the Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts.

[1] Brayton was the last NFL draft pick in the first round in 2003, after Oakland acquired the first-round pick from the eventual Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for head coach Jon Gruden at the end of the 2001 season.

The following season, he recorded 45 tackles, 2.5 sacks and his first career interception at the Kansas City Chiefs on December 25.

In his first season at the Panthers, he played and started in all 16 games and finished the campaign with 40 tackles and a career-high 4.5 sacks.

[5] On December 12, 2010, in a game against the Atlanta Falcons, Tyler Brayton came off the bench and elbowed Atlanta Falcons cornerback Christopher Owens in the head while Owens was running along the Carolina sideline as part of the punt coverage unit.