The 2024 NFL Draft kicked off at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit on Thursday. The Buffalo Bills won't have a pick until Friday.
The Bills traded their first-round pick with the Kansas City Chiefs and moved out of the first round with a trade with the Carolina Panthers.
This is obviously a big weekend for the Bills who because of a top-heavy salary cap situation led by Josh Allen need to add younger, cost-controlled players who can make contributions in 2024. Who will the Bills pick in the NFL Draft? Will they take a receiver early, or possibly two? All of those will be answered.
You can find live coverage all through the NFL Draft here.
More:What time does the 2024 NFL Draft start today? How to watch, live stream every round
Bills trade out of the first round of 2024 NFL Draft
After making two trades, the Buffalo Bills will be scheduled to make their first pick Friday when they have the first selection of the second round.
Buffalo Bills trade pick to Carolina Panthers in 2024 NFL Draft
After swapping places with the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills made yet another pick with the Carolina Panthers. They will now have pick No. 33.
Buffalo was originally scheduled to make the 28th pick, but made the deal with Kansas City which also included the Bills sending pick 133 in the fourth round and pick 248 in the seventh round in exchange for No. 32, pick 95 in the third round, and pick 221 in the seventh round.
The deal gave the Panthers No. 32 and pick No. 200 in the sixth round, and the Bills received pick 33 which is the first one in the second round, and pick No. 141 in the fifth round.
These trades certainly give the Bills some extra ammo for the rest of the weekend, and the biggest aspect of all this is that they get a third-round pick which they thought they were going to receive as a comp pick for Tremaine Edmunds but somehow were squeezed out of the equation as that became a fourth-rounder.
Bills trade down in first round, send pick to Kansas City Chiefs
One can only imagine how impatient Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane was getting as he sat in the war room at One Bills Drive watching the first round of the NFL Draft play out Thursday night.
This is what happens when you are a perennial playoff team; barring a trade up, which Beane almost certainly explored, you have to wait a long time to make your first pick and for Beane and the Bills, it was all the way down at No. 28.
And then when the moment arrived nearly three hours after the show began, Beane decided he could wait a little longer.
The Bills traded spots with the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round who had the 32nd and final pick of the round. Buffalo also sent pick 133 in the fourth round, and pick 247 in the seventh round and will also receive pick 95 in the third round, and pick 221 in the seventh round.
This gives the Bills the third-round pick they thought they were going to receive as a comp pick for Tremaine Edmunds.
The Chiefs selected Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the pick.
Brian Thomas won’t be joining the Bills
The wide receiver that so many analysts believed was ticketed for Buffalo went at No. 23 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Thomas was the consensus fourth-rated receiver prospect, and his general range was pegged somewhere in the mid-teens to early 20s, and sure enough, he was the fourth receiver picked, right in that window.
At LSU, Thomas emerged in 2023 and formed a dynamic duo with Nabers. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound native of Louisiana was heavily recruited by SEC powers LSU, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas A&M, but in the end, he decided to stay in his home state.
In his first two seasons with the Tigers he caught 59 passes, but then he broke out in 2023 with the help of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels as he caught 68 passes for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns.
At the NFL scouting combine, Thomas ran a tremendous 4.33 in the 40-yard dash and also had a big-time 38.5-inch vertical leap so when you talk about high pointing a ball, he can get really high.
During his combine media session, Thomas was asked several questions about his interactions in Indianapolis with the Bills, and he admitted their interest seemed genuine. “I would say most of the time was spent on personality, not really the whiteboard,” Thomas said. “Just going going over plays, going over what we did at LSU, naming formations and stuff like that.”
Alas, he’ll be catching passes from Trevor Lawrence instead of Josh Allen.
Bills wide receiver options wide open
Ever since the top three receivers were taken within the first nine picks, we’ve been waiting for the second run at the position to begin. Twenty-one picks in, it still hasn’t happened.
After 14 straight offensive players were taken, five of the next seven have been on defense, and the only offensive players were a pair of tackles.
So the Bills still have at a chance at wide receivers Brian Thomas, Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Ladd McConkey and Xavier Legette.
Apparently, defense is optional in the NFL
We are now 14 picks into the first round, and not a single defensive player has been taken. The Raiders just selected tight end Brock Bowers out of Georgia and the Saints grabbed Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga to keep the streak alive.
So far, six quarterbacks have been taken, three receivers, and four tackles. The previous longest period of time before a defensive player was picked was seven in the 2021 draft, so we have now doubled that mark.
As for the quarterbacks, the Falcons stunned everyone by grabbing Washington’s Michael Penix, and the Broncos also made a surprise pick with Bo Nix of Oregon. I’d have to imagine neither fan base is thrilled because both of those seem like pretty sizable reaches. We’ll see.
The Jets took full advantage of the QB-hungry teams. They had the 10th pick, the Vikings were 11 and the Broncos 12. They listened to offers from both teams who clearly wanted to pick Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, and they made the deal with the Vikings. By going down just one spot, the Jets also picked up picks in the fourth and fifth round.
Receivers coming off the board as expected
The top three receivers in this draft class were taken within the first nine picks of the first round, so now the intrigue begins for the Bills who have continually been linked to the player who is widely considered the fourth-best receiver prospect, Brian Thomas.
Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. went No. 4 overall to the Cardinals, Malik Nabers of LSU went No. 6 to the Giants, and Washington’s Rome Odunze went No. 9 to the Bears.
If there was a chance that Brandon Beane was going to take a big swing to get one of those three, it was always thought that it would be for Odunze because he figured to be the last of that group taken, and he was.
And Chicago’s pick was a popular spot because the Bears started this draft with only four picks and it seemed like they would entertain trading No. 9 to stockpile a few more. But if Beane made a call to Canandaigua native and Bears GM Ryan Poles, he was rebuffed.
So now all eyes turn to Thomas. There were a few mock drafts that had Thomas falling all the way to the Bills at No. 28, meaning they wouldn’t have to trade up. But No. 28 is a long way away and if Thomas is truly the player the Bills covet, you would have to expect he won’t want to risk waiting that long.
Remember what he said at his pre-draft news conference last week when he was asked about trading up, something he did last year to make sure he secured tight end Dalton Kincaid. “If there is a guy I like and I’m confident,” he said, “I want to go to bed Thursday night that I got him. If that happens again, I could do it. I can’t really tell you if we go up, go back or draft at 28. I have no idea how it’s going to fall.”
The QB parade has begun
We all know the NFL is a quarterback league and the start of the first round was a clear indication of that.
As expected, the Bears took Caleb Williams of USC No. 1 overall, and then the intrigue surrounding where the others would fall began. The Commanders went with Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU, and the Patriots - who have been in a quarterback abyss mode since Tom Brady left - took North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
Obviously, Maye will be the player of utmost interest to the Bills and their fans as he tries to do what 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones never did - give the Patriots competent play at the game’s most important position.
Now, we wait to see if the run continues as J.J. McCarthy of national champion Michigan is the next highest rated QB. Or will the run on receivers begin?
If not receiver, then what?
The wide consensus is that the Bills are going to find a way to grab a wide receiver in the first round Thursday night, and there are multiple scenarios in play.
Brandon Beane could take a huge chunk of draft capital - both this year and next - and take a huge jump from No. 28 into a spot into the top 10 to get someone like Washington’s Rome Odunze. Or they could cut a lesser swath into the asset bucket and perhaps get into the mid-teens if LSU’s Brian Thomas is there.
Maybe they just stay put and take the remaining receiver who they have their best grade on, or there’s even a chance that if they don’t have a first-round grade on anyone when their pick comes up, trade back into the second round and acquire an extra pick or two.
However, what if none of those scenarios play out to their satisfaction? Would the Bills move off receiver and fill a need elsewhere? That’s a distinct possibility, and defensive line might be where they go, particularly tackle.
Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones are locked in as starters, but the rotational depth includes two players on one-year deals, Austin Johnson and Deshawn Williams. And the 32-year-old Jones is on a contract that can be moved on from after 2024, so there is a need to get younger at the position.
One player who could be available is Jer’Zhan Newton of Illinois who is projected to go right around the end of the first round or early in the second. The 304-pounder was known more for his pass rush ability than his play against the run. He made 18 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in four college seasons, and in 2022 and 2023 combined he had 103 QB pressures which were the most of any FBS interior linemen.
Should the Bills trade up in the first round?
Will the Bills try to trade up and snag a receiver they could use after the Stefon Diggs trade? Or could they consider trading down to gather even more assets?
"We'll do both ways," Beane said. "I think that's the best way to prepare for every scenario. We'll go through with the scouts the various scenarios that could happen and just play the board."
See what else Beane said before the draft here.
What time does the NFL Draft start?
∎ Round 1: Thursday, April 25, 8 p.m. ET
∎ Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 26, 7 p.m. ET
∎ Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 27, noon ET
∎ Location: Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, Detroit, Michigan
Buffalo Bills draft history
The NFL Draftis, and always has been, the most important tool that teams have at their disposal when it comes to building their rosters.
Each year, the teams that do it well - and I would consider the Buffalo Bills as one of those teams since the start of the Sean McDermott/Brandon Beane era began in 2017 - add young, talented, and relatively inexpensive pieces who go on to play critical roles.
Here is a look back at the great draft picks, the finds and the busts.
What channel is the NFL Draft on?
The NFL Draft will air on NFL Network, NFL+, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes all three days. If you have an over-the-air antenna that picks up ABC, you can watch the draft without a cable or live streaming subscription.
How to watch, stream the 2024 NFL Draft:
∎ Cable: NFL Network, NFL+, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
∎ Streaming: NFL+, ESPN+, Hulu+, FuboTV
What picks do Buffalo Bills have in 2024 NFL Draft?
The Bills’ 10 selections are at No. 28 (Round 1), No. 60 (Round 3), No. 128 (Round 4), No. 133 (Round 4), No. 144 (Round 5), No. 160 (Round 5), No. 163 (Round 5), No. 200 (Round 6), No. 204 (Round 6) and No. 248 (Round 7).
2024 NFL Draft order Rounds 1 and 2
NFL Draft Round 1 order
1. Chicago Bears (from CAR)
2. Washington Commanders
3. New England Patriots
4. Arizona Cardinals
5. Los Angeles Chargers
6. New York Giants
7. Tennessee Titans
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Chicago Bears
10. New York Jets
11. Minnesota Vikings
12. Denver Broncos
13. Las Vegas Raiders
14. New Orleans Saints
15. Indianapolis Colts
16. Seattle Seahawks
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
18. Cincinnati Bengals
19. Los Angeles Rams
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
21. Miami Dolphins
22. Philadelphia Eagles
23. Minnesota Vikings (from CLE through HOU)
24. Dallas Cowboys
25. Green Bay Packers
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Arizona Cardinals (from HOU)
28. Buffalo Bills
29. Detroit Lions
30. Baltimore Ravens
31. San Francisco 49ers
32. Kansas City Chiefs
NFL Draft Round 2 order
33. Carolina Panthers
34. New England Patriots
35. Arizona Cardinals
36. Washington Commanders
37. Los Angeles Chargers
38. Tennessee Titans
39. Carolina Panthers (from NYG)
40. Washington Commanders (from CHI)
41. Green Bay Packers (from NYJ)
42. Houston Texans (from MIN)
43. Atlanta Falcons
44. Las Vegas Raiders
45. New Orleans Saints (from DEN)
46. Indianapolis Colts
47. New York Giants (from SEA)
48. Jacksonville Jaguars
49. Cincinnati Bengals
50. Philadelphia Eagles (from NO)
51. Pittsburgh Steelers
52. Los Angeles Rams
53. Philadelphia Eagles
54. Cleveland Browns
55. Miami Dolphins
56. Dallas Cowboys
57. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
58. Green Bay Packers
59. Houston Texans
60. Buffalo Bills
61. Detroit Lions
62. Baltimore Ravens
63. San Francisco 49ers
64. Kansas City Chiefs
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