Getty Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell #5 of the Texas Longhorns catches a pass against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second half of the Big 12 Championship.
The Buffalo Bills have traded up in the first round in each of the last two NFL Drafts, and a pressing need to add talent at wide receiver could lead them to a third.
In a mock draft published on April 12, Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire predicted that general manager Brandon Beane would trade up again to snag Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Wojton predicted it would only take a small jump off the board for the Bills to add one of the “most athletic” receiving prospects in the draft, a move that could also give Beane ammunition to make another later trade.
Bills Predicted to Make Multiple Trades
Wojton noted that Beane has not been shy about moving up the board in the first round to add talent. The Bills general manager gave up a fourth-round pick in 2022 to move up two spots, taking cornerback Kaiir Elam at No. 23 overall. The Bills also moved up two spots last season, jumping ahead of the Cowboys to take tight end Dalton Kincaid at No. 25.
Wojton predicted the Bills could make another small move this year if Mitchell falls within range to trade up from their No. 28 overall pick.
“Beane’s track record has a history of moving up a few spots to secure the guy he wants. Think Dalton Kincaid just a year ago,” Wojton wrote. “With the way this board fell, AD Mitchell looks tempting as one of the most athletic wideouts in this class. Beane never sits on his hands, so moving up four spots helps.”
ESPN NFL Draft analyst @Jordan_Reid on why Texas WR Adonai Mitchell would be an ideal fit for the #Bills offense🔊⬇️
In the trade proposal, the Bills would send picks No. 28 and 60 in exchange for picks No. 24, 87 and 121.
That might not be the end of the draft moves, Wojton wrote. He predicted that Beane could move up again in the second or third round, taking advantage of the 11 total picks the team has going into this month’s draft and the extra ones that come through the proposed Cowboys trade.
Others See Adonai Mitchell as Good Fit for Bills
Wojton is not the only analyst who sees Mitchell as a potential target for the Bills in the first round. The team is in need of some new talent at wide receiver after trading Stefon Diggs and watching No. 2 Gabe Davis leave in free agency, and this year’s draft is considered especially deep at wide receiver.
Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus predicted that the Bills would be able to stay put and grab Mitchell, taking him with their No. 28 overall pick. Chadwick wrote that the athletic Mitchell would fit well with Bills quarterback Josh Allen and fill some of the void left by the departures this offseason.
“The Bills desperately need to add viable pass catchers after trading Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Adonai Mitchell has a high ceiling as one of the most athletic receivers in the draft, though he has some work to do to reach his ceiling,” Chadwick wrote. “There may be no better quarterback to help him do so than Josh Allen.”
Comments
Bills Trade Proposal Swaps With Cowboys to Land ‘Athletic’ WR Prospect