ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is on firmer ground defending his approach to the NFL draft this weekend, a year after facing criticism for failing to upgrade the team’s receiver position.
Beane got ahead of questions long before having to wait until Day 2 to submit Buffalo’s first pick, and before selecting Connecticut receiver Skyler Bell in the fourth round on Saturday.
Beane’s most significant draft decision came in early March.
Rather than risk a high pick on a receiver, and the time it might take for a prospect to develop, Beane took a surer route. He traded Buffalo’s second-round selection, 60th overall, to Chicago to acquire DJ Moore, an eight-year veteran, who’s topped 1,100 yards four times.
Moore’s addition immediately upgrades a relatively no-name receiver group that’s lacked a proven downfield option since the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to Houston two years ago.
Aside from addressing a key need, Moore's addition freed Beane to hone his focus on a defense in transition following head coach Sean McDermott’s firing in January.
Buffalo replaced McDermott by promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who envisioned the defense adopting the same attacking approach as his offense. Jim Leonhard takes over as coordinator and is switching the defense to a 3-4 scheme and the Bills not re-signing several veterans, including linebacker Matt Milano and tackle DaQuan Jones.
“No matter what type of system we’re running or who’s coaching the team, I felt we did need some infusion of youth on this defense,” Beane said. “And I just think it’s more where the iteration of this roster is more than a coaching transition.”
Beane began the draft by completing three trades to back out of the first round and acquire two selections and give Buffalo five of the top 126 picks, after having just two over that span entering the draft. And he used three of those choices to fill two of the defense’s most pressing needs in adding Clemson outside linebacker T.J. Parker (35th), Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun (62) and inside linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr (126).
The Bills then filled offensive depth needs in rounding out their first five picks with Bell (125th) and Boston College tackle Jude Bowry (102). Overall, six of Buffalo’s 10 selections were defensive players.
“The whole time it’s like, don’t forget we got DJ Moore,” Brady said he kept reminding himself through the weekend.
Though Brady has an offensive background, he backed the defense-first approach in the days leading up to the draft.
“It was the best thing for our football team,” Brady said. “Anytime that we stop an opposing offense and get the ball back to Josh (Allen), it helps the offense.”
Beane completed seven trades during the draft, including three on Saturday.
Buffalo was scheduled to have the first pick of the fourth round, before moving back one spot to 102 and acquiring a 2027 seventh-round selection from the Raiders. Buffalo then dealt the 168th pick to Detroit, and acquired picks 181 (Penn State DT Zane Durant) and 213. The Bills then traded the 213th pick to Chicago to add No. 239 (Florida punter Tommy Doman) and 241 (Texas A&M guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams)
The Bills on Saturday also selected South Carolina safety Jalon Kilgore (167) and Missouri cornerback Toriano Pride (220).
Bell finished second in the nation with 1,278 yards receiving at UConn, and was tied for third with 13 TDs.
Bell spent his first three college seasons at Wisconsin, and is reunited with Leonhard, who was the Badgers defensive coordinator and closed the 2022 season as interim head coach.
“I honestly can’t wait to see him. I’m probably gonna give him the craziest hug ever because that’s my guy,” Bell said. “He helped me with my development a lot my freshman year and my sophomore year.”
Igbinosun acknowledged pressing too much in coverage, which led to him being flagged more than dozen times for defensive pass interference in 2024. He spent the following offseason studying tape, which led to him reducing the number of flags to four.