As the 2024 NFL Draft approaches, the Buffalo Bills are gearing up to add young players to their roster in hopes of securing a Super Bowl title. With the team in a transitional phase, having moved on from veteran players, the draft could take them in various directions this year.
In this series, we will consider three potential strategies for the Bills: staying put in the draft, trading down for more picks, or trading up to target a specific star player. While the team will likely not stick to just one strategy in reality, there are valid arguments for each approach, and we aim to explore these options leading up to the draft.
Before delving into the scenarios, it’s important to note the tools used for this analysis. The draft simulator at Pro Football Network was utilized to maintain consistency and simplify the process. It’s acknowledged that draft simulators have limitations and may not reflect real-life draft outcomes accurately. Additionally, the focus here will be on the Bills’ key needs, prioritizing a standout wide receiver, a starting safety, and depth at defensive end, defensive tackle, and center.
The first scenario we’ll examine involves a situation where general manager Brandon Beane refrains from making any trades during the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Argument in Favour of Standing Pat
Although it’s not in Brandon Beane’s character to make no deals, in some respects, it might not be a bad plan this year. It’s a virtue to be patient, and there’s a chance the Bills will still add ten good football players to their roster this season. Yes, ten rookies seems like a lot to count on to make the team, but considering Buffalo’s salary cap situation going into 2024, it’s not a bad idea to presume that the team will have a number of inexpensive, highly skilled players who can bolster the bench.
Additionally, this does not imply that the Bills will be unable to select players at the present slots in the draft who can start right away.draft. The Bills can still search for high-impact players at No. 28 and No. 60, and given their needs elsewhere, they can fill in the rest of those spots early on Day 3 of the draft.
If the Bills trade up in the draft, they’ll secure a coveted player, but they’ll also limit the number of rookies they can add to the roster. If the Bills trade down, they can add quantity to the roster, but it’s likely that they’ll do so at the expense of quality players. This is the “happy medium” scenario, the one where Buffalo can still address their biggest needs while also keeping draft capital for the future.
