Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - To trade or not to trade?
That’s one of the questions facing every general manager leading up to and during the NFL Draft every year.
This year, the Buffalo Bills hold the 27th pick (it’s really the 28th overall, but the Miami Dolphins got caught tampering with Tom Brady so they lost their first rounder, but this isn’t the time to get into that).
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There’s no doubt Bills general manager Brandon Beane will field - and make - phone calls about the pick. That’s normal and routine due diligence. But should he actually trade it? What would he get in return?
Since 2018, the No. 27 overall pick has been traded four times. The team holding it had traded up, traded down, and traded for a player. It was even traded twice in the same draft.
Here’s what each trade looked like:
2018
New Orleans Saints trade No. 27, No. 147 (fifth round), and their 2019 first-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for pick No. 14 overall.
The Saints gave up a ton to move up 13 spots in order to select defensive end Marcus Davenport. The extra first-round pick in 2019 ended up being No. 30 overall the following year after the Saints went 13-3 and lost in the NFC Championship Game.
Even with the following year's first-rounder only as high as 30th overall, according to the traditional Jimmy Johnson value chart, the Saints gave up a whopping 1,512.6 draft points for 1,100 points in return, which is what No. 27 is worth.
2018
Green Bay Packers trade No. 27, No. 76 (third round), and No. 186 (sixth round) to the Seattle Seahawks for No. 18 overall and No. 248 (seventh round).
This trade is almost exactly even when incomes to the Johnson value chart. Both sides swapped just over 900 points. The Packers selected cornerback Jaire Alexander in the trade-up.
2019
Dallas Cowboys trade their first-round pick, eventually No. 27 overall, for wide receiver Amari Cooper.
This trade was made prior to the previous season’s trade deadline. Neither team knew exactly where the Cowboys would be picking in the first round. It wound up as the 27th overall selection, which the Raiders used to select safety Johnathan Abram.
2022
Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade No. 27 to Jacksonville Jaguars for No. 33 (second round), No. 106 (fourth round), and No. 180 (sixth round).
Just last year, the Buccaneers traded down from the pick, moving just six spots to pick up an extra fourth- and sixth-round pick. This trade is as close as you can get to even on the Johnson value chart with a difference of less then one point!
The Jaguars selected linebacker Devin Lloyd with pick No. 27, while the Buccaneers grabbed defensive end Logan Hall six picks later.
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