One NFL.com analyst makes the case for the move.
By Justin DiLoro / Billswire.usatoday.com
With how aggressive Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has been during his brief tenure at his position, it makes sense that the Bills would be mentioned as a team who could be active in maneuvering around the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
However, moving up to the second spot in the draft? While bold, one analyst believes that this would be an effective move for the Bills to produce wins for this upcoming season.
Cynthia Frelund, an NFL.com analytics expert, makes the case that Buffalo could move up to the No. 2 spot in the draft order this year. Frelund considers the team’s needs in addition to the players available while her model makes the best available choice.
Frelund, whole making the argument for the Bills to move up the draft board, highlights trades that would increase value for both teams involved.
In one of her most efficient trade scenarios, Frelund has Buffalo acquiring San Francisco’s first-round (No. 2) and sixth-round picks for the Bills’ first-round pick this year (No. 9), a fifth-round pick (No. 147) and sixth-round pick (No. 181) and a 2020 first-round selection (valued at the No. 12 position in next April’s draft)
She examines why this trade works for Buffalo:
With most mock drafts connecting Kyler Murray to the Cardinals at the first overall pick, and the Raiders sitting at No. 4 with several key needs (and the capital to move all over the draft board), the strategy for the 49ers at No. 2 and Jets at No. 3 is very interesting. Since trading with the Jets would be an in-division move, the Bills are more likely to work with the Niners on a deal. Should my model’s highest-rated player, Quinnen Williams, be available at No. 2, the Bills could craft a trade for the Alabama defensive tackle and fill a huge team need; though, the trade would require giving up their first-round pick in 2020. I told you that my model is most focused on winning this season, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t consider future seasons at all. Simply put, the opportunity to draft Williams is worth the future costs, given the premium at his position and the Bills’ current roster.
Quinnen Williams, arguably the top prospect in this year’s NFL Draft, would easily strengthen the Bills’ defensive line. He would also make the lives of Jerry Hughes, Tremaine Edmunds, and Trent Murphy much easier, as Williams would command a great deal of attention from opponents’ offensive linemen.
The major concern of this deal is the inclusion of a first-round pick in 2020. The Bills will not take this move lightly. Buffalo has seen some success moving up (Tremaine Edmunds) while also observing the risk outweighing the reward (Sammy Watkins).
This deal, in its current form, would benefit the Bills by bolstering their roster and giving them one of the top defensive line units in the NFL. However, that’s a lot of trade capital to relinquish in a trade.