Now that compensatory picks have been doled out by the league, none of which were granted to our Buffalo Bills, the 2017 NFL Draft order is officially set. Thanks to a pair of trades, the Bills will be without a pick in the fourth round and the seventh round.
The fourth rounder was sent to the Chicago Bears to move up in last year’s draft to select linebacker Reggie Ragland and the seventh round was sent to the Dallas Cowboys, along with Matt Cassel, for a fifth-round selection two years ago.
The team’s picks are:
Round 1—10 overall
Round 2—44 overall
Round 3—75 overall
Round 5—156 overall
Round 5—171 overall (from Dallas)
Round 6—195 overall
Chicago will receive the 117th overall selection and the Cowboys the 228th pick.
With a number of holes to fill, the Bills are in a tough spot holding only six selections in this year’s draft. A trade-up seems to be unlikely, but a trade-down could be a wise maneuver in what is, by many accounts, a very deep draft at positions in which the Bills are sure to have interest. Albert Breer of The MMQB.com notes that the depth in the class at cornerback, safety, and wide receiver is quite strong.
Whether the Bills stand pat, move back, or move up, the draft will certainly answer some questions—and provide fresh ones—about the team’s direction for 2017. The draft’s first round will commence on April 27 in Philadelphia.