Getty Brandon Beane, general manager of the Buffalo Bills speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 1, 2022.
Brandon Beane could have yet another first-round draft trade up his sleeve, an insider speculates.
The Buffalo Bills general manager has shown a penchant for moving big first-day draft moves during his tenure with the team, whether it be leapfrogging up the board to take Josh Allen or flipping their first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for Stefon Diggs. Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy believes that an unusual depth of talent in this year’s draft could have the Bills could be poised for another move.
The latest Bills news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Bills newsletter here!
Bills Moving Back
Nagy noted that this year’s NFL Draft has talent spread deeper throughout the mid to later rounds thanks to some NCAA changes that offered players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This could offer the Bills the chance to move back out of the first round and accumulate picks in the deeper-than-usual second round, Nagy said.
“So I think, you can stay there and address a lot of different needs, but there’s going to be a good player there,” Nagy said in an appearance on the Bills by the Numbers Podcast. “I feel like the meat of this draft is probably anywhere between picks 15 and 60. You can really get pretty close to the same player. That’s why I think you’re gonna see a lot of teams trying to trade back and stockpile second-round picks. It’s gonna be a really good second round this year.”
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah also believes the team could trade back, since the No. 25 overall pick could be very attractive for any team looking to land a quarterback with a fifth-year option.
“I think that’s where the value is,” he said, via the team’s official website. “If you can get back in, get the fifth year, take a flier on one of these guys, I think we could see some action there and see some movement there. I’m sure the Bills have a good opportunity to make a move there if they want.”
Beane has said that the team is not just looking to plug immediate holes with the first-round pick, saying in an appearance on WGR 550 that the team will do that through free agency while looking for better value with their top pick.
One Pressing Need to Fill
Most analysts have the Bills staying put at No. 25 and addressing the most glaring weakness on the roster — the secondary. The Bills lost veteran cornerback Levi Wallace in free agency and Tre’Davious White is recovering from a torn ACL that could have him missing a chunk of the season. Albert Breer of SI.com reported that the Bills appear to have interest in LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., though may have to settle for another defensive back.
“And I’d heard the Bills connected to Stingley at one point, with the thought of his being around fellow LSU Tiger Tre’Davious White, but I don’t think Stingley falls to a point where moving to get him would be realistic for the Bills,” Breer noted. “So someone like Washington’s Kyler Gordon might make sense here.”
Most missed tackles forced among Big 12 Running Backs since 2014
1️⃣ David Montgomery: 207
2️⃣ Breece Hall: 196
Breer added that the Bills could go for a “luxury pick” at No. 25 — Iowa State running back Breece Hall.
READ NEXT: Former Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Goes Shirtless at Frigid Playoff Win