Last Time the Bills Traded Out of First Round It Ended in Disaster

If history is any indication, the Buffalo Bills’ decision to trade out of the first round spells bad news for the team’s immediate future.

The Bills made three moves to back out of the opening round on Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, which was the second time they vacated their first-rounder over the past three years. In 2024, Buffalo moved back before drafting wide receiver Keon Coleman, then proceeded to make a number of other uninspiring selections throughout the remainder of its draft slate.

Cole Bishop, who was also drafted in the second round, 27 picks after Coleman, has proven to be a solid selection at the safety position. However, when you dig deeper, Brandon Beane turned his trade haul that resulted from the Coleman deal into a lot of underwhelming players, many of whom have yet to make a true impact on the Bills’ success.

List of non-factors

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) carries the ball after a reception defended by New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) during the third quarter at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Coleman’s progression took a nose-dive this past season, when he was disciplined and benched on multiple occasions. His average yards per reception decreased from 19.2 during his rookie year to 10.6 in 2025.

Ray Davis has developed into a solid kick returner, earning All-Pro honors in 2025, but he regressed as a running back in his second professional season. Beyond Coleman, Bishop and Davis, the Bills made seven other picks after trading back to start that draft, none of which have helped the team in their pursuit of a Super Bowl.

The third round produced defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, who has been riddled with injuries during an otherwise forgettable start to his career.

Three fifth-round picks—offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran Granger, linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio and edge rusher Javon Solomon—haven’t made any difference whatsoever. Van Pran Granger may have been knocked down in the pecking order after the Bills added Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency. Ulofoshio isn’t even on the roster anymore, and there's nothing tangible about Solomon's performance that says he will become a future contributor.

Now, let’s round things out with the sixth and seventh rounds, where Buffalo found diamonds in the rough OL Tylan Grable, defensive back Daequan Hardy and international pathway player, OL Travis Clayton. Do you think a casual Bills fan has even heard of any of those guys? Grable has appeared in just five games through two seasons, Hardy spent this past season as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad and it has never appeared as if Clayton has much of an NFL future.

All of this is to say that, past circumstances created by the Bills’ general manager/president of football operations’ genius draft-day trade-backs have placed Buffalo in the predicament it finds itself today: a lack of starting-caliber talent creating countless roster holes at various positions.

I previously wrote how Beane was under the most pressure of his career to nail the 2026 draft. However, given how things have started and if history is a guide, the Bills are in a heap of trouble.

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