The Buffalo Bills don’t have a selection in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and it’s highly unlikely they will trade up to get one, given the cost. Given general manager Brandon Beane’s track record, it’s still pretty likely he’s going to trade up.
In 2019, he traded up in the second round to select offensive tackle Cody Ford then traded back into the end of the third round to select tight end Dawson Knox. In 2018, he traded up twice in the first round to select quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
When Beane sees a guy he wants, he doesn’t usually wait for him to fall.
In 2020, the Bills hold picks 54, 86, 128, and 167 in the first five rounds. How he uses those assets to maneuver the board is going to be the most intriguing part of the second night of the 2020 NFL Draft.
- Packaging picks 54 and 167 will move the Bills up roughly three spots to pick 51.
- Sending picks 54 and 128 would get Buffalo up into the 47/48 range.
- Trading picks 54 and 86 would mean a move up to pick 39.
That last trade seems too rich for me, but parting with a fourth-round pick to get your man is exactly the type of move Beane has made in the past. It cost a fourth-round pick to move up for Knox. They used a fifth rounder to move up for Ford.
With Buffalo unlikely to have space to add seven rookies onto what appears to be a stacked roster, using some of those mid-to-late draft picks to ensure you’re able to select the player you really want instead of a consolation prize makes sense.
The sweet spot probably starts around pick 45, which would cost fourth- and fifth-round picks in addition to the second-round selection.