Mel Kiper Jr. names the wide receiver the Bills would trade up for in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft
Stefon Diggs is no longer a member of the Buffalo Bills and while an NFL team never wants to lose one of its best players, the fact that this year's draft features an incredibly deep receiver class helps soften the blow.It's almost a lock when it comes to the Bills drafting a receiver in the […]
Stefon Diggs is no longer a member of the Buffalo Bills and while an NFL team never wants to lose one of its best players, the fact that this year's draft features an incredibly deep receiver class helps soften the blow.
It's almost a lock when it comes to the Bills drafting a receiver in the first round, at this point. The only questions left are who will they take and will it be at No. 28 or higher?
The Bills can cover a lot of ground in a first round trade-up, thanks to the Diggs deal, and top draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. says they'd be more than happy to pull the trigger on a top-10 trade in order to land Washington wideout, Rome Odunze.
"It can be done," Kiper said on the latest episode of the God Bless Football podcast. "Buffalo doesn't have a three, but Buffalo can use next year's draft [picks] and move up. You know who they would be targeting? It's not gonna be Marvin Harrison Jr. – he figures to go to Arizona [and] Malik Nabers figures to go the Giants. "It's going to be Rome Odunze, a wide receiver out of Washington.
"If he's around at seven [or] eight and he's sitting there, maybe, getting down to nine for Chicago – that's where you got to jump ahead of the Bears… that's where you probably gotta get to, similar like to say Atlanta did with Julio Jones. If Buffalo feels that Oduzne is that good, you go up and try to get him."
The Falcons traded the 27th overall pick in the 2011 draft, along with second- and fourth-round picks, that year. They sent a 2012 first-rounder and fourth-rounders, as well, in return for the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 draft.
The Bills can certainly make a move akin to that one, as they have the 28th and 60th overall picks in this year's draft and two second-rounders, next year. The two aforementioned picks, along with one of their 2024 fourths, and then 2025 first- and second-rounders would certainly be enough to jump up ahead of the Bears.
The key with a trade-up is the gap that exists between the "big three" and the rest of the receivers. Sure, the Bills will get a quality prospect at 28, but it makes way more sense for a team in its Super Bowl window to get one of the elite guys. The chance of Odunze coming in and making a much greater impact is a lot higher than one of the second-tier guys.
"It is, it really is," Kiper said when asked if bridging the gap, so to speak, is worth the price of trading up. "In terms of the gap – there is a gap. You have Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, let's go Nabers for the sake of argument, then Rome. Then a gap, down to either Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU, Xavier Worthy of Texas, Adonai Mitchell from Texas, Xavier Legette, South Carolina… I think there is that gap.
"So, there is a reason to say 'I gotta get one of those big three.' And that would be, if he drops like I say, into that 6-7-8 range before Chicago at nine picks, it would be the reason to maybe move up and get Rome Odunze from Washington."
Odunze is a big-bodied, dynamic receiver that would immediately come in and challenge for the No. 1 WR position. He'd also provide a nice red zone presence thanks to his size, strength, and elite ball skills.
But even more importantly, Josh Allen recognizes his game and would be more than thrilled if Odunze were on the roster.
"I think the top three guys- Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, and Marvin Harrison Jr- are three pretty great prospects," Allen said. "Then you get to that second-ish tier, if you will, of Brian Thomas, Adonai Mitchell, I think Keon Coleman, Troy Franklin, Xavier Worthy are all there… to watch these guys at the Combine, [they're] big, tall, heavy fast dudes."
Overall, the possibilities are pretty much endless for the Bills. They'll be able to recoup from the loss of Diggs – it's just a matter of how they go about their business.
