The Buffalo Bills have a lot of work to do in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. However, ESPN has the Buffalo Bills trading out of the first round to get some more ammo to help the roster even more. It could be divisive for the fan base, but it might be the smartest move to make for Buffalo.
The Buffalo
Bills and the rest of the NFL are just days away from the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft
. With plenty of team needs and more than a handful of question marks, this draft is going to be huge for general manager Brandon Beane.
It may be his most important draft to date.
ESPN released an article talking about how all 32 NFL teams can ace their pick
in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, and has Buffalo taking a unique approach. Instead of a specific player, the network is doubling down that Beane needs to trade out of the first round.
The article pointed to the Bills' need to add depth at tackle and guard, wide receiver, linebacker, and cornerback three behind Maxwell Hairston
and Christian Benford
.
"Will they stay put or trade down from No. 26? I'm screaming trade down. This isn't a great draft for a few early picks, but rather many middle-round dart throws. The Bills' roster has endured some turnover and could easily absorb five-plus rookies. Depth at tackle and guard is needed, and a wide receiver addition should challenge Joshua Palmer
at the third spot behind Moore and Khalil Shakir
. On defense, linebacker needs a potential starter over Dorian Williams
, and CB3 behind Maxwell Hairston and Christian Benford is a huge question." – Ben Solak
As Solak suggested, none of those needs of linebacker, depth at tackle and guard, wide receiver, or cornerback No. 3 feel huge but could be potentially season-derailing if things don't break Buffalo's way. Solak suggests that Buffalo target a linebacker with the injury history for Terrel Bernard.
"None of these needs feel huge, but they're all potentially season-derailing if they don't break Buffalo's way — such are the margins of postseason football. This roster got thin after a season of cap shedding, and the Bills would be better served turning pick No. 26 into two or three selections — especially since their next turn is currently 65 picks later. I would prioritize linebacker, given Terrel Bernard
's injury history, and I'd love a corner with inside-out versatility to back up both spots (Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds sure feels like a culture setter similar to Taron Johnson
)." – Ben Solak
While general manager Brandon Beane has long talked about trading for wide receiver, DJ Moore
doesn't preclude them from drafting a wide receiver high; Solak doesn't believe that it warrants a first-round selection. Instead, he thinks that Buffalo will target a wide receiver in the later rounds with some speed to help take the top off opposing defenses.
"I do not think wide receiver demands a first-round pick, though I'd understand if GM Brandon Beane tilted into the selection out of frustration. Denzel Boston (Washington) would be a great fit with the Bills' current depth chart, but I'd also love some middle-round speed to keep Moore in more of a possession role — think De'Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss) or Bryce Lance (North Dakota State)." – Ben Solak
If Beane truly wants to maximize this window with quarterback Josh Allen
, this is where patience has to meet precision. Trading down might not deliver the flashy, headline-grabbing pick, but it could give Buffalo something it quietly lost over the past year: depth actually holds up in January.
Because that's what this really comes down to. Not star power, not hype, not winning draft night.
It's about surviving the grind of a full season and still having enough left when it matters most. If the board doesn't fall their way at No. 26, moving back and stacking picks might not just be the smart move; it might be the one that finally gets them over the hump.
