The Buffalo Bills currently hold the No. 26 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but it’s quite possible they won’t be selecting from that position.
The Bills’ general manager, Brandon Beane, has a history of trading back in the first round. If he’s considering this strategy again, he might find a struggling team eager to make a deal to acquire more talented players.
Bills and Raiders Could Make a Trade
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton published a mock draft on Monday, where every first-round pick is traded. In this scenario, he has the Bills trading the No. 26 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders, allowing them to select Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston.
Bills get: 2-36, 4-102, 4-117
Raiders-Get No. 26
“Las Vegas added to its receiver room in free agency, signing Jalen Nailor. Still, Tre Tucker is entering the final year of his contract. Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. were mostly ineffective with limited snap counts as rookies last year,” Moton wrote. “Offensive-minded head coach Klint Kubiak may have his sights set on adding a big-target receiver in case his young wideouts aren’t ready to take a Year 2 leap in a new offense.
“At 6’4″, 212 pounds, Boston knows how to use his body frame to haul in contested catches. Over his last two years at Washington, he racked up scores as a reliable target in the red zone, scoring 20 touchdowns. Boston has the skill set to be the Raiders’ No. 1 wideout and complement to star tight end Brock Bowers in the passing game.”
If the Bills were to pull off this trade, they would allow the Raiders to draft Boston, who could become the top receiver on their roster from Day 1. This move likely wouldn’t come back to haunt Buffalo, as Las Vegas still has a long way to go before it’s ready to compete. This means Boston won’t be catching any touchdown passes against the Bills in the playoffs anytime soon.
Should Buffalo Look to Trade Down?
The Bills should explore every possible option to trade down from the 26th pick, as this draft class doesn’t seem to offer a lot of top-tier talent. While moving up to snag a solid player could be challenging, a trade down could yield them two additional fourth-round picks and an early second-rounder. This approach would increase their chances of selecting players who might develop into valuable contributors.
Since the Bills don’t have a second-round pick after trading it to the Bears for DJ Moore this offseason, they might want to kick off Day 2 with a draft pick. Securing the No. 36 pick would put them on the clock almost immediately, which could also provide a solid opportunity for them to trade back once again.
The 36th pick presents a great opportunity for a team looking to trade up, and with Josh Allen at the helm, the Bills could be the perfect fit for making that deal.
Buffalo could gather additional draft capital and continue taking risks by throwing darts at the board to see what sticks.
It will be interesting to see what the Bills try to pull off on Thursday night.
Bills Predicted Trade Proposal With Raiders Could Reshape Draft Night