Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The eve of the most important NFL Draft of the Brandon Beane/Sean McDermott era is upon us.
Sure, trading up to get the franchise quarterback back in 2018 could be considered Beane’s most important draft, but restocking the roster and keeping them in contention in a transition year with one of the league's best quarterbacks still in his prime has turned the pressure up several notches.
Everyone’s eyes are on this year's wide receiver class, and for good reason. It’s a tremendous class. It’s a great year to have a need or several needs at the position, and the Bills certainly fit the bill.
I’m willing to bet there will be more movement than I have predicted in this mock with only three trades, but for the sake of simplicity, here’s how I can see Thursday night’s first round going:
23.) Buffalo Bills (from Los Angeles Chargers)*: Xavier Worthy - Wide receiver - Texas
* - Bills acquire the 23rd overall pick from the Chargers (from the Minnesota Vikings from Houston Texans via Cleveland Browns) in exchange for Pick 28, a 2024 fourth-round pick (133rd overall), a 2024 fifth-round pick (160th overall), and their own 2025 second-round pick.
The Chargers are in a full-on rebuild, and move back twice in the draft to gather draft capital and rebuild their roster.
For the Bills, they do a classic Beane trade-up without mortgaging the future, and they also get to keep their second-round pick this year and the Vikings' second-rounder next year.
I think it’s a win-win for the Bills, who get the receiver they covet and still get to address other needs in the second round.
Most importantly, the Bills dip in front of the Dallas Cowboys, who may be primed to take the University of Texas speedster at 24th overall if the Bills don’t swoop in. Something they did last year trading up for tight end Dalton Kincaid.
All of you WR Train riders can breathe a little easier, because this top-20 escalated quickly. Seeing five receivers go in the top-20 likely would create a panic, and Jeremy White might be searching for some antacid.
However, Beane has other teams across the league right where he wants them.
Worthy may seem a bit redundant skill set-wise with Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir, and I think that’s an entirely fair concern. However, his speed and dynamic ability with the ball in his hands makes him too sweet to pass up.
I don’t think the Bills should look at the position conventionally and box themselves in to find a "type", rather I want them to look at the position now and moving forward as an opportunity to create real mismatches across the board.
Worthy represents the ultimate mismatch.
They can address a larger-bodied boundary receiver later in the draft, or look to add a veteran like Michael Thomas or Odell Beckham Jr., if they so choose. But for now, they add a speed element that Josh Allen simply hasn’t had.
And for that, I’m excited.
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