The Buffalo Bills are actively making waves in NFL free agency, adding star power with Joey Bosa, re-signing familiar faces like Dane Jackson, and bringing in underrated contributors such as Michael Hoecht. While the upcoming draft will further shape the roster, a pre-draft trade remains a real possibility.
With 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bills have the flexibility to either select a large group of players or leverage those assets in a trade before or during the event.
If Buffalo does make a move, it will likely target a position of need that lacks depth in this year’s draft. For example, although the Bills need a run-stopping defensive tackle, the draft is stacked with talent at that position, reducing the urgency to trade.
On the other hand, wide receiver remains a spot where Buffalo could use reinforcements, and this year’s draft class doesn’t offer many reliable options.
For that reason, a post-free agency trade for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce could be the ideal move for the Bills.
As the Bills’ payroll continues to rise, the team must make strategic sacrifices in some areas to invest heavily in others. Although Josh Allen’s new contract is considered team-friendly, general manager Brandon Beane still needs to manage resources carefully to afford an MVP-caliber quarterback.
To balance the budget, Beane has opted for a committee approach at wide receiver rather than targeting high-profile stars like Stefon Diggs or Amari Cooper. As part of this strategy, he drafted Keon Coleman last offseason, re-signed Khalil Shakir to a midlevel deal, and brought in Josh Palmer during this year’s free agency.
With a receiver group lacking a marquee name, it’s essential to have players who excel in specific roles — whether it’s possession routes, slot work, red-zone targets, midrange patterns, or stretching the field deep.
In addition to Coleman, Shakir, and Palmer, the Bills also feature Curtis Samuel, Laviska Shenault Jr., and KJ Hamler, each bringing their own unique skill set. However, the team is still missing a true deep threat.
There are several deep threats available this offseason, but only one seems like a realistic fit for Buffalo. While Tyreek Hill would be an ideal addition on paper, his high cost — both in terms of contract and draft capital — makes a deal unlikely, especially given the unlikelihood of the Dolphins trading him within the AFC East.
Given the Colts’ deep wide receiver corps featuring Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, A.D. Mitchell, and Alec Pierce — whose contract expires at the end of the 2025 season — Pierce stands out as the ideal trade target for the Buffalo Bills.
With solid depth at the position, the Colts could benefit from trading Pierce for a draft pick, allowing them to either select a younger pass-catcher with more team control or address a greater position of need.
Pierce, a second-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2022, has accumulated 110 receptions for 1,931 yards and 11 touchdowns. He shined last season with seven touchdowns and led the NFL in yards per catch (22.3), making him a perfect deep threat for Josh Allen to stretch the field in Buffalo.
Last year, the Bills lacked a true speedster in their receiving group. While this helped rein in Allen’s tendency to rely on deep throws, it also left a void in critical moments — such as the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 2025 NFL Draft offers several potential deep threats, including Tennessee’s Don’t’e Thornton Jr., Florida’s Chimere Dike, and Georgia’s Arian Smith — all of whom could be available on Day 3. However, these prospects remain unproven, whereas Pierce is a reliable, established talent. A future draft pick may hold long-term value, but with the Bills firmly in win-now mode, banking on an unproven player to become the next Pierce by 2027 doesn’t align with their immediate goals.
Acquiring Pierce now could significantly boost the Bills’ chances of making a Super Bowl run in February 2026 — the ultimate objective.