The Buffalo Bills traded out of the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, but they gained two Day 2 picks in the process.
It’s all about positioning themselves for an active Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
On Thursday night, the Buffalo Bills completed two trades, ultimately moving out of the first round but acquiring the No. 33 and No. 95 overall picks. They also have the #60 pick.
“We’re excited about tomorrow. “Instead of just one pick, we now have three,” said general manager Brandon Beane. “We came into this draft without a 3 and were able to re-enter in the third round. At this point, we’re back to three picks in the top 95.”
First, Buffalo swapped first-round picks with the Kansas City Chiefs, dropping from 28 to 32. Instead of making the last selection in Round 1, the Bills traded again. This time, they dropped to No. 33, allowing the Carolina Panthers to return to the first round.
“We could have gone much further back, as teams, than that. We didn’t want to go crazy far. “I honestly thought we’d pick at 32, but then I talked to my buddy [Panthers’ GM] Dan [Morgan], who gave us the opportunity to move up 59 slots from a 6 to a 5,” Beane said. So we now have two 2s, a 3, a 4, and four 5s. That provides us the opportunity to fill some roles or use ammo to move around again, depending on how the board falls.”
Beane may make another transaction before deciding on a player on Friday. The opening pick of the second round usually piques curiosity heading into Day 2.
“We expect a lot of calls for this choice tomorrow at 33. “Our phone is already ringing,” Beane explained.