The Buffalo Bills haven’t been shy about moving around the draft board in recent years.
General manager Brandon Beane could still do so. The middle rounds of the draft sound much more likely now. Beane appeared on the team’s radio show on Wednesday and he said that trying to move back into the Round 1 is pretty much not going to happen.
“I don’t anticipate us at all trying to getting up into the first round. That’s not something we’re even contemplating right now,” Beane said.
“I always want a first-round pick, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself, you trade a high pick like we did for Stefon (Diggs),” Beane added.
While the first round might be out of the picture for the Bills, Beane is still certainly paying attention to it. At this point, he’s not expecting many surprises while he waits around, though.
“I could tell you probably 20 of the 32 first-round picks. Then there’s another 20 that will probably go in the last 12 spots, wherever the go. I have an idea. I put together some names of about 24, 25 guys that I’ve felt pretty confident were going, if not top-32, top 35 to 36,” Beane said.
Then eventually, things get a bit more anxious for the Bills.
“Then you’re looking at, ‘Alright if I’ve got about 18 to 20 spots left before our pick, what would be on the board?'” Beane said.
Even trading up in the second round sounds unlikely for the Bills as well. Buffalo’s first two picks at No. 54 and No. 86 in the second and third rounds, respectively, have a combined pick value of 520 (360+160). That would get the Bills to the No. 38 pick, currently held by the Panthers.
There’s room for the Bills to wiggle in Round 2, but getting to the very top of the second round could be too pricey, let alone getting back into the first round.
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