The Buffalo Bills are looking for a top receiver after trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, and one analyst believes they may get one through a second blockbuster move.
In a mock draft released on April 16, Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press anticipated that the Bills will trade up to the fourth overall choice, swapping places with the Arizona Cardinals to choose wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. While Maaddi acknowledges that it would be an expensive trade, he believes the Bills will make the move because of the pressure to win the Super Bowl.
Bills Make Bold Move to Extend Super Bowl Window
Harrison is regarded as the top receiving prospect and one of the greatest overall players in this year’s draft, with most analysts projecting him to go in the top five. While several mock drafts have anticipated that the Bills will trade up to the back end of the top ten or later to acquire one of the other top receivers, Maaddi feels they will go for the best.
“Harrison, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, was the best WR on the field last season,” Maaddi said in a statement. “His stock has dropped slightly because he skipped offseason training, but his tape is sufficient. The Bills are under pressure to win the Super Bowl and require a No. 1 wideout after dealing Stefon Diggs.”
Maaddi anticipated that the Bills would need a large haul of draft picks to move that far up the board, swapping their No. 28 overall pick, as well as second- (No. 60), fourth- (No. 128), and fifth-round picks (No. 160) this year, as well as first- and second-round selections in 2025. The Bills would also receive a fourth-round pick in exchange.
The Bills have plenty of ammunition to make such a move, as they enter the draft with 11 overall picks. Even after giving a bundle of picks to the Cardinals, the Bills would still have nine selections to fill additional roster gaps.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane has not shied away from making first-round moves, taking minor steps up the board in 2022 to sign cornerback Kaiir Elam and again last season to choose tight end Dalton Kincaid. However, the Bills have not made such a significant move since 2014, when they traded up to No. 4 overall to draft wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
Cardinals Could Hold Onto Pick
The Bills might never get the opportunity to sign Harrison. Albert Breer of SI.com speculated that Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort may stay put and sign Harrison, who would become an immediate cornerstone of the team’s rebuild.
“What’s unique about Arizona’s position is that, despite picking fourth, the Cardinals will almost certainly have an opportunity to pick the best nonquarterback in this year’s class,” Breer said in a statement. “What a few people have said to me over the past few months, to that end, is that Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. would be a wheelhouse pick for Ossenfort, the same way Harrison’s ex-teammate Paris Johnson Jr. was in 2023.”
The Arizona Cardinals want 3 First Round Picks for the 4th overall pick, their plan is reportedly to select Marvin Harrison Jr. pic.twitter.com/OkAlcTMkS7
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) April 9, 2024
Breer went on to say that if the Cardinals did entertain trade proposals for the No. 4 pick, they would most likely want a 2025 first-round pick as part of the deal.
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