Story by
Bills rumors: The DJ Moore reason Buffalo traded back 3 times out of Round 1
- Story by
- Bills rumors: The DJ Moore reason Buffalo traded back 3 times out of Round 1
Bills rumors: The DJ Moore reason Buffalo traded back 3 times out of Round 1 appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Buffalo Bills took a volume approach to the 2026 NFL Draft. Buffalo traded out of the first round , executing three separate trades to move down the board. Some sources around the NFL feel that they know exactly why the Bills made those moves.
Advertisement
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shared intel from scouts, coaches, and league executives following the draft. Sources believe that Buffalo traded out of the first round because of the DJ Moore trade.
"And as one team source acknowledged, Buffalo felt 'a few bullets short' this year because of the D.J. Moore trade, which cost the team a second-round pick," Fowler wrote. "In the end, Buffalo turned picks 26, 91 and 165 into 35, 66, 101, 125 and 167."
Buffalo's decision could have also been informed by the strength of this year's draft class.
"The Bills' three trade-backs from No. 26 to outside of Round 1 were emblematic of a weaker draft as well as modernized thinking," Fowler added. "More teams are leaning into the concept of taking more swings and prioritizing the number of picks they make. Many teams we spoke to about the draft considered the late first round similar to the early second round as far as talent. The drop-off was minimal, if nonexistent."
Advertisement
On paper, Buffalo's strategy looks pretty smart. They only moved down from pick 26 to pick 35 through their series of trades. The Bills still landed an impact player in EDGE T.J. Parker while gaining additional picks in the middle rounds.
Of course, it remains to se seen if the Bills will hit on any of their draft picks. But fans have to be encouraged that their front office took a smart approach to the draft.
Related: Bills bold predictions for 2026 NFL Draft class during rookie season
Related: Josh Allen's 'explosive' NFL Draft weapon talking a big game for Bills
