Buffalo Bills General Manager Regrets Passing on Los Angeles Rams' Puka Nacua

Los Angeles Rams wideout Puka Nacua was the steal of his draft. Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane commented on the rookie before trading Stefon Diggs.

On Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills traded receiver Stefon Diggs and a couple of Day 3 picks to the Houston Texans for a 2025 second-round pick. The deal puts a dent in Buffalo’s competitive window and raises questions about the supporting cast surrounding superstar quarterback Josh Allen.

Dealing Diggs is yet another attempt the Bills will make at getting younger and cheaper before presumably reloading with a healthier cap space situation. But for now, they’ll turn to Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, and Khalil Shakir at receiver. Of course, general manager Brandon Beane could also take a receiver with the No. 28 pick in April’s NFL Draft.

Coincidentally, Beane spoke recently about his Buffalo tenure. His failure to add an impact receiver to complement Diggs looms large as the Bills scramble into next season, and his comments reflect just how painful missing out on a star receiver could be.

Jan 14, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) runs after a

David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

On “This Is Football,” Beane revealed one of his biggest regrets as Buffalo’s general manager was letting receiver Puka Nacua fall to the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round.

“I thought Puka did a really good job with the Rams,” Beane said. “You knew he’s a tough player, but not [a player you’d expect] to produce what he did. I thought McVay and those guys really used him well, and it was like a perfect fit, too. I don’t know if he would have done that everywhere, but McVay had a vision and knew how to use him.

“As his stats were piling up, I kept watching how they were doing. It was a perfect fit.”

The Bills also took a receiver in the fifth round last year -- Justin Shorter -- but he failed to see the field.

Nacua, with head coach Sean McVay calling the shots, went on to have the most productive rookie season a receiver has ever had. Generating 1,486 yards and six scores on 105 catches, Nacua came out of nowhere and immediately established himself as one of the league’s best receivers.

His impact on a rehabbing Rams offense was invaluable, and paired with a healthy Matthew Stafford and the emergence of running back Kyren Williams, Los Angeles was able to make a run to the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Buffalo once again fell short in January, losing to Patrick Mahomes when it mattered most for the third time. A point of contention for the Bills had been receiver Gabe Davis’ role in the offense and the inconsistencies that provided. With Diggs’ declining production adding to Buffalo’s drama, one can only wonder what kind of impact Nacua could have had.

In all likelihood, the rookie receiver found himself in a perfect storm of football graciousness, giving him the coaching, quarterbacking, and opportunity to produce the way he did. Elsewhere, as Beane noted, that kind of production becomes harder to guarantee.

If nothing else, the Los Angeles faithful can thank their lucky stars for Nacua and the production he promises, even if it means the road ahead is tougher for their friends in Buffalo.