The Buffalo Bills have a knack of trading up in the first round of the NFL draft under general manager Brandon Beane, making small but significant moves to fill roster holes.
One analyst believes the Bills are primed for another draft trade this year, filling one of the biggest needs on defense while replacing a departing starter. Fox Sports reporter Ralph Vacchiano predicted the Bills would jump up the board in the first round to land Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, a versatile defensive back who could be a strong addition to the team’s secondary.
Bills Make Small Move for Big Impact Player
Vacchiano predicted the Bills would slide four spots up in the first round, taking Barron with the No. 26 overall pick.
“The Bills could look to trade up for almost any defensive line or secondary prospect, but at this point, in this draft, it’s hard to look past the second corner off the board,” he wrote of the Bills trade. “They are incredibly thin at the back of their defense, which is why their pass defense was so bad last season. That’s a problem for a team with Super Bowl aspirations and staring at big games against teams like the Chiefs and Bengals. Barron, who can play inside or outside, won’t solve all their issues. But he’s a good start.”
Mike Moraitis of SI.com endorsed the idea, writing that Barron would fill a “dire” need for the Bills in the secondary. Moraitis predicted that Barron would replace veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas, who started 15 games for the Bills last season but has hit free agency and remains unsigned.
The Bills have regularly moved up in the first round, including a move in 2022 to fill a hole in the secondary. The Bills moved up that year to select cornerback Kaiir Elam, filling a hole left by an injury to then-starter Tre’Davious White that kept him out for several months of the following season.
Though Elam’s selection didn’t work out as he lost a starting role and was eventually traded this offseason, the Bills have not been shy about giving up draft capital to make first-round moves in the past.
Bills Lock Down Future of Their Secondary
While the Bills still need to find a replacement for Douglas, they took care of the other outside cornerback slot by giving Christian Benford a four-year contract extension. The contract is worth $72 million, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted that Benford has the chance to add some significant incentives.
“The deal also includes up to $5 million in incentives and up to $2 million in escalators,” Florio wrote. “Benford can earn up to $1 million each year under this formula: $400,000 for four interceptions or $650,000 for five interceptions or $1 million for six interceptions. He’ll make an extra $500,000 in salary for 2026 through 2029 based on being named a first-team All-Pro in 2025 through 2028.”
While Vacchiano predicted that the Bills would make a first-round move to find a new cornerback, Benford is an example of the team’s ability to find talent at all levels. He was a sixth-round pick in 2022, the same year the Bills traded up for Elam, and quickly moved into a starting role.
