NFL Draft Rumors: Bills May Trade Down, Not 'Be Aggressive' for WR After Diggs Trade

Despite their need for a wide receiver to replace the recently traded Stefon Diggs, there is reportedly some momentum behind they idea of the Buffalo Bills trading down from the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

According to ESPN's Jordan Reid, many have expected the Bills to "be aggressive" and possibly trade up in the first round in order to land their new WR1, but he has heard that Buffalo may be content to stay at No. 28 or even trade back.

Diggs was the Bills' No. 1 receiver and quarterback Josh Allen's top target for four seasons, and it resulted in four Pro Bowl selections and four consecutive years of at least 100 catches and 1,100 yards for Diggs.

However, the 30-year-old veteran's production dropped off significantly during the second half of last season, and as his cryptic tweets mounted this season, Buffalo decided to package him with a fifth- and sixth-round pick in exchange for the Minnesota Vikings' 2025 second-round pick in a trade with the Houston Texans.

Now, Diggs will be part of a formidable wide receiver trio in Houston alongside Nico Collins and Tank Dell, while the Bills are left without an obvious go-to guy.

Free-agent signing Curtis Samuel is perhaps the de facto No. 1 wideout currently, followed by third-year man Khalil Shakir, veteran Mack Hollins and Justin Shorter, who did not play at all as a rookie in 2023.

The Bills will almost certainly take a receiver or possibly even two early in the 2024 draft, but their method for landing one remains unclear.

Buffalo could package a ton of picks in an effort to move into the top 10 and land either LSU's Malik Nabers or Washington's Rome Odunze, or it could do a smaller trade up into the teens for LSU's Brian Thomas Jr.

Staying at No. 28 would possibly give the Bills the opportunity to take one of Texas' Adonai Mitchell or Xavier Worthy, Florida State's Keon Coleman, Georgia's Ladd McConkey or South Carolina's Xavier Legette.

Buffalo could also have a chance at some of those names, or someone like Oregon's Troy Franklin, Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk or Florida's Ricky Pearsall should they trade back into the second round.

While trading up would perhaps allow the Bills to land an instant WR1, trading back could help them land a third-round pick, which is something they don't currently have at their disposal.

A trade back would also provide the Bills to address other areas of need such as safety, edge rusher and defensive tackle.