Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills came into the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night holding 10 total picks.
After nearly four hours and two trade downs the draft board, they left the first round with the same amount of draft selections, but no new additions to the roster.
With the 28th overall selection in their hands, general manager Brandon Beane decided to deal it to their AFC rival Kansas City Chiefs, and move down four spots to the final pick of the first round.
The deal with Kansas City allowed the Chiefs to select the fastest player in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine, wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
Then when it came time for the 32nd overall pick, Beane dealt again, this time moving down just one spot, but out of the first round completely, swapping choices with the Carolina Panthers.
By making both moves, the Bills ultimately traded picks 28, 133, 200, and 248 for choices 33, 95, 141, and 221.
Related
While meeting with the media in the early hours of Friday morning, Beane said he had no hesitation about trading with Kansas City, even given the history between the two teams with the Bills and Chiefs swapping picks in 2017 that landed Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
"We could have traded with someone else and they take somebody. We had other opportunities, and I would say that was the best deal for us, take the team out of it. That was the best deal that we thought that fit what we wanted to do," said Beane after Thursday's first round. "The way you have to look at it, we talked to teams in our division about the trade. It's really, to me, what's the best deal for the Bills? If we don't do a deal, in this case with Kansas City, they can go do a deal with the next team."
When the dust settled, Beane left One Bills Drive with a full day to think about his next move, controlling the first pick of the second round. He said he's already been fielding calls for that pick.
"I think we were just looking at it as moving up 59 slots in the draft, giving us more ammo to move around tomorrow, or if the board is falling well for us where we think there's a lot of guys available on Day 3, then maybe we even stay," Beane explained. "I just looked at it as value, what we could get for going back one. We'll get a lot of calls for this pick tomorrow at 33."
So the Bills are essentially on the clock again. Will they stay there, or will they move down again?
We'll find out when the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft begins at 7 p.m. ET on Friday. Coverage on WGR starts promptly at 7 p.m. ET with Nate Geary, Zach Jones and Derek Kramer.
