The Buffalo Bills entered the 2026 NFL Draft with seven selections and a bevy of positional needs to address with their draft picks.
On Thursday night, at Day 1 of the draft, the Bills opted to stockpile picks instead of adding a potential impact starter when it was their turn to pick towards the end of the first round.
President of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane traded back not once, not twice, but three times late in the round, adding picks to his arsenal while frustrating fans
who wanted the team to use their first-round pick on a talent like Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (pictured below) or Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk
Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks recaps the flurry of moves made on Day 1 and previews some of the best players available for the Bills on Day 2.
Beane trades back 3 times on opening night
The Bills orchestrated three separate trade downs on Thursday night, working out deals with the Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and Tennessee Titans to stockpile picks. With the deals, Beane turned picks No. 26, 91, 165 into 35, 66, 101, 125, and 167, giving Buffalo nine selections, including five among the first 126 picks.
Linked below: Recapping Beane’s trades; find out how Beane aced the first round without making a pick; and a run through the updated list of draft picks Buffalo has for Rounds 2 through 7.
- Bills trade down three times, out of the first round of the NFL draft entirely – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Buffalo Bills make three first-round trades with Texans, Patriots and Titans – newyorkupstate.com
- How Brandon Beane turned one pick into a big Bills haul in draft – Democrat & Chronicle
- Bills trade down three times, and out of first round – WGR 550
- Bills trade down 3 times, slide out of first round of NFL Draft – WGRZ
- Instant Reaction: Bills Trade Out Of First Round, 9 Picks Heading Into Day Two – BuffaloBills.com
- The Bills just aced the first round of the NFL Draft without making a single selection – newyorkupstate.com
- Lance Lysowski: Bills made the right call to trade out of first round with 3 deals – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- What draft picks do the Bills have now? Updated list after trades – Democrat & Chronicle
Bills Day 2 preview
Exploring the best players available for the Bills on Day 2 of the draft, a list that includes Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (pictured below), Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell, Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston, Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller, Georgia linebacker CJ Allen, and Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
Plus, a run through several mock drafts to see who the draft pundits think Beane will take on Day 2 of the draft; making the case for adding an edge rusher/outside linebacker or inside linebacker with pick No. 35 in the second round; and offering up five intriguing linebacker options for the Bills to consider in the third round.
- 2026 NFL mock draft: Buffalo Bills turn three first-round trades into multiple contributors – newyorkupstate.com
- Bills Day 2 Draft Files: After flurry of trades, what could they do next? – The Athletic (subscription required)
- Bills 2026 draft: Here are 7 big targets left after Buffalo trades out of 1st round – newyorkupstate.com
- Best available players for Bills on Day 2 of NFL Draft – Democrat & Chronicle
- NFL Draft best available players for Bills: Edge Cashius Howell, ILB Jacob Rodriguez – The Athletic (subscription required)
- NFL mock draft of Rounds 2-3: Predicting landing spots for the best prospects still available – ESPN.com
- SI’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft for Rounds 2 and 3 – Sports Illustrated
- Five linebacker options the Bills could target in Day 2 of the draft – Democrat & Chronicle
Even more Bills news
Discussing whether the Bills need to bring in more help at outside linebacker with Javon Solomon (pictured below) set to play the position in 2026. Plus, learn more about Buffalo’s efforts to land an upcoming NFL Draft, and a run through the Bills opponents for the 2026 season.
- Javon Solomon will be an outside linebacker for the Bills. Do they need another? – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Inside the Bills’ efforts to bring the NFL draft to Western New York – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Bills 2026 schedule will bring heavy travel and tough road opponents – Democrat & Chronicle
Buffalo Bills articles recently featured on Buffalo Rumblings
- Buffalo Bills trade, stockpile draft picks in Round 1 of 2026 NFL Draft – Buffalo Rumblings
- Grade the Buffalo Bills’ moves during Round 1 of 2026 NFL Draft – Buffalo Rumblings
- Bills making new Highmark Stadium a destination through community artwork – Buffalo Rumblings
- Can you guess this Bills second-round pick in today’s in-5 trivia game – Buffalo Rumblings
