Three First-Round Players Picked after Bills' Draft Trades Would've Fit in Buffalo

The Buffalo Bills had an interesting night one at the 2026 NFL Draft. Rather than sticking with the No. 26 overall pick, they traded down. And they washed, rinsed and repeated, dropping back two more times when it was all said and done.

Now, the Bills were able to acquire a handful of draft capital for trading back. But trading back was at the expense of three prospects being picked in the spots Buffalo gave up.

So, how would those three players have fit with the Bills? There is a case to be made that while Buffalo gained valuable draft capital, the players they passed on could have been Day 1 starters for the team.

No. 26, Keylan Rutledge — Houston Texans

Rutledge may be the pick that ends up hurting the Bills the most. Not only does Buffalo miss out on a potential starting guard, it also allowed an AFC rival to continue revamping its offensive line.

While Austin Corbett is in the fold to start at left guard, Rutledge projects as a long-term upgrade there. He's a road grader who helped Georgia Tech total 2,567 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns in 2025.

Rutledge's best PFF grade from 2025, though? Pass blocking, where he tallied a 78.4 grade.

No. 28, Caleb Lomu — New England Patriots

Lomu may have been the worst fit of these three players for the Bills. Lomu is a true tackle and would have been an odd pick with both Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown holding it down on both sides of the o-line.

It doesn't help either that Buffalo also has a swing player in Alec Anderson who is very much involved in Joe Brady's offense.

Maybe Lomu could have waited in the weeds as a potential Dawkins replacement, as the veteran LT is entering his age-32 season. But Lomu did not scream "immediate need."

It just stinks that he was passed up and landed with a divisional rival coming off a Super Bowl run.

No. 31, Keldric Faulk — Tennessee Titans

Faulk made sense in the Buffalo defense. But he may be the prospect with the biggest questions of the group.

Against the run? Faulk is one of the top edge players in the class, posting an 85.5 run defense grade in 2025. But he also leaves a lot to be desired as a pass rusher, posting a 66.0 pass rush grade and a sack total of two last fall.

Faulk could have been a versatile piece in Jim Leonhard's front seven. But Brandon Beane not wanting to select him in the first round can be explained by some of the 21-year-old's deficiencies.

The #Bills made three trades on Day 1 of the #NFLDraft and in the process gained 97.75 points of value.

That's equivalent to Pick #86 meaning Brandon Beane essentially created a 3rd round pick by falling back 9 spots in the draft.

Good business, with work to do. pic.twitter.com/Eo9tKbt8ym
— Hänsel (@UberHansen) April 24, 2026

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