SI NFL Insider's Round 1 Projection Sends LSU Receiver to Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills hold the No. 28 overall selection in Thursday's NFL Draft First Round and Albert Breer predicts they will use that pick to secure LSU's Brian Thomas Jr.

Jan 1, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean (10) breaks up a pass to | Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

How sweet would that be?

The Buffalo Bills stand pat at No. 28 overall and wind up with a potential WR1 to fill the void created by trading away Stefon Diggs.

In Sports Illustrated senior reporter Albert Breer's early Thursday morning Round 1 mock draft, Buffalo's patience paid off in the form of LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who led all NCAA FBS players in touchdown receptions this past season.

In Breer's simulation, Thomas is the fourth receiver selected in Round 1 after Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU's Malik Nabers and Washington's Rome Odunze all went in the Top 9. It's important to note that Breer mocked the entire first round sans trades.

The 6-foot-3 Thomas the desired combination of size and speed for an "X" receiver. He ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.33) of all receiver prospects at the 2024 NFL Combine.

From Breer's First-Round Mock Draft:

"Thomas is an incredible athlete, and was off the charts his last year, catching 68 passes for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns. But I think two things result in a little slide. One, his shoulders have been flagged by team doctors, and he may need surgery on the left one after his rookie year. Two, he’s simply pushed down a bit by the run on the tackles I’m projecting."