Marcell Dareus trade likely to result in a fifth-round pick for Buffalo Bills

Immediately following news that the Buffalo Bills had traded high-priced, underperforming defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to the Jacksonville Jaguars, ESPN’s Adam Schefter quickly clarified that the compensation given to the Bills was a conditional sixth-round draft pick that could become a fifth rounder “based on performance.” Following that report, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweeted that Dareus staying on the Jaguars roster all season and the team making the playoffs were the conditions that needed to be met for the pick to become a fifth rounder.

If that report is accurate, the Bills should soon be in possession of an extra fifth-round draft pick instead of the sixth, now that the Jaguars have clinched a playoff birth. Thanks to a 38-point victory over the Houston Texans, the Jaguars are guaranteed their first playoff appearance since 2007.

The newly-added value is important in the draft, as fifth-round picks usually make most team’s rosters and stand a decent chance of contributing, as the Bills have witnessed this year with rookies Matt Milano and Nathan Peterman. On the other hand, the bust rate for draft picks plateaus at the sixth round, making sixth and seventh round draft picks hardly more valuable than undrafted free agents.