Bills Snag Top Receiver
The Bills are headed into the draft with a bare cupboard in the receiving corps, having traded Diggs and lost No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis in free agency. But Kay noted that this year’s draft is especially deep at wide receiver, giving the Bills a chance to guarantee one of the top prospects if they trade up into Tennessee’s spot.
“The Bills sorely need more receiving talent after trading four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans and losing playmaker Gabriel Davis in free agency,” Kay wrote. “Buffalo would be nearly guaranteed one of the best receivers—the Bleacher Report Scouting Department has Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers ranked as the Nos. 1, 6 and 8 overall players in this class, respectively—by moving up to No. 7.”
But moving up more than 20 spots from their pick at No. 28 would not be cheap, Kay predicted. He speculated that it would take Buffalo’s top three picks this year — No. 28, No. 60 and No. 128 — as well as their first-round pick in 2025.
It would also be one of the biggest draft moves for the Bills in a decade. The Bills moved up to No. 4 in the 2014 draft, taking wide receiver Sammy Watkins, and jumped up to No. 7 in 2018 to draft Josh Allen.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane has not been shy about making draft moves, trading up in the first round in each of the last two seasons. There appears to be support from within the building as well, with edge rusher Von Miller sharing a social media post encouraging the Bills to trade up for a receiver.
Other analysts foresee the Bills trading up for a wide receiver, though not all believe they will jump into the top 10. In a mock draft published on April 12, Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire predicted that the Bills would move up two spots to snag Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
More Moves Coming After the Draft
Speaking to reporters after the Diggs trade was announced, Beane also suggested that the Bills would look back to free agency to fill out the wide receiving corps. He also stressed that it was a long time from now until the season starts with much more work to be done on the roster.
“I think we do have a lot of confidence in our offense, in the other players, whether it’s receivers, the two tight ends, the backs,” Beane said, via the team’s official website. “And listen, we don’t play games until September. I would hope you know by now I’m going to turn over every stone and our staff is to continue to look to add depth and competition to all those rooms. So, that when it’s time to play, we have a team we’re proud of and that’s going to give us a chance to win.”
