Buffalo Bills Make 2 Trades on Day 1 of NFL Draft

Here's a breakdown of what the Buffalo Bills traded and received in round 1.

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft didn’t go how most Bills fans wanted, but how it went is a possibility that has existed all along – trade back, and acquire more assets. More shockingly, Brandon Beane traded with the Kansas City Chiefs, giving them the rights to select burner Xaiver Worthy at 28th overall.

Let’s recap night one to prepare for what figures to be a very busy Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Brandon Beane Trades Down With Kansas City

Buffalo sent 28th overall to Kansas City for 32nd overall. In the trade, the Bills also sent fourth round pick 133 for third round pick 95, and seventh round pick 247 for 221. Let’s break down the move.

To move down four spots in the first round, Buffalo moves up a full round from a fourth to a third, and moved up 26 picks in the seventh. The value is there, but why would Beane make that deal with Kansas City?

Quite simply, it’s because Beane didn’t want to select Worthy. If he did, he would have. In his press conference after the first round, Beane indicated that they have more players with a second-round grade than they had a first-round grade on. The picks between 28 and 32 all went with other positions. If Beane didn’t make the trade and selected a different player with a second round grade, Worthy very well could have fallen in the laps of Kansas City anyways.

As much as it hurts, it was a good trade to get terrific value.

Buffalo Trades Down From 32 To 33

Beane wasn’t done yet. On the clock at 32nd overall to wrap up the first round, he sent pick 32 and pick 200 in the sixth round to the Carolina Panthers, and received pick 33 and pick 141 in the fifth round.

Carolina gave up picks to move up one spot to select wide receiver Xavier Legette, the size speed combo out of Southern Carolina. He stays in the Carolinas, and the reports about the Panthers being a huge fan of Legette ended up being true. They desperately needed a young option in their receiver room to help Bryce Young grow. Great pick for them.

Beane moving up from 200 to 141 – 59 picks – just to move back one spot, is huge.

Not only that, but holding the first pick of the second round typically becomes a highly valuable pick that sees plenty of action. Beane confirmed last night that the phones are already ringing.

Beane isn’t done making moves. Whether or not he kicks off Day 2 of the NFL Draft with a selection or with another trade remains to be seen.