One of the NFL’s most prolific duos in the last four seasons is no longer together after the Buffalo Bills traded away Stefon Diggs and two draft picks to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2025 2nd-round pick, leaving Josh Allen without a No. 1 receiver.
Across his four seasons in Buffalo, Diggs and Allen elevated each other’s play. Diggs had 445 catches for 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns, while Allen threw for over 4,200 yards and at least 35 touchdowns in three of his last four seasons. Their success helped lead the Bills to four straight AFC East titles.
Now, with Diggs in Houston, the Bills are tasked with finding another No. 1 receiver, and they’ll likely have to do so by landing one in the draft.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
Scott Clause / USA TODAY NETWORK
While Buffalo could sit back at No. 28 and land a receiver who can contribute immediately, general manager Brandon Beane has shown he’s more than willing to trade up to land a player he likes, as he has traded up in the first round four times since he was hired in 2017. If there’s a receiver that piques his interest, it’s more than likely Beane will be aggressive in landing them.
Here are three teams the Bills could trade up with to land Allen’s new No. 1 receiver.
Chicago Bears:
This is the biggest swing for Buffalo, but the Chicago Bears could be more than willing to listen.
The Bears lack draft capital. as they only have four picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and none on Day 3. While it’s almost a certainty Chicago will draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, trading the No. 9 overall pick may be in its best interest to get more draft picks to round out its roster.
Trading up to No. 9 won’t be cheap for Buffalo, as it’ll likely cost a second-round pick, at least two of its Day 3 picks and potentially a high draft pick in 2025. Getting into the top 10 could position the Bills to land one of the top three receivers in the draft between Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. The addition of either of them could help the offense not skip a beat next season.
If Harrison Jr., Nabers or Odunze are available at No. 9 overall, it should be surprising if Beane is calling to trade up and land one of those three receivers.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bills traded up two spots with the Jacksonville Jaguars so they could draft tight end Dalton Kincaid. Could the Jaguars be willing to listen again if Buffalo comes calling to trade up for a second straight year?
While Jacksonville could also be a candidate to draft a receiver, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them target the offensive line after quarterback Trevor Lawrence had an injury-riddled season or another cornerback to line up opposite Tyson Campbell. If they like the depth at either position and aren’t targeting a receiver in the first round, trading back makes sense, and last year’s draft proves Beane has a good relationship with Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke.
Trading up to No. 17 could position Buffalo to land Brian Thomas Jr., who had a breakout 2023 campaign with 68 catches for 1,177 yards and an FBS-leading 17 touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 209-pound receiver also tore up the NFL Scouting Combine by running a 4.33 40-yard dash.
If Thomas Jr. is there at No. 17, Buffalo could tap back into a previous connection to land Diggs’ replacement and get Allen a type of weapon he has never had in Buffalo.
Los Angeles Rams:
Few teams are better at finding talent in the later rounds than the Los Angeles Rams. That alone, along with the fact they haven’t made a pick in the first round since they drafted quarterback Jared Goff in 2016 should make them a candidate to trade down for more Day 2 and Day 3 draft capital.
Unless there’s a player the Rams are in love with when they pick at No. 19 overall, they’re a prime candidate to trade back. Buffalo trading up with Los Angeles would also put it ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could also be interested in a receiver in the first round after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.
Trading up to No. 19 could also put the Bills in a position to draft Thomas Jr. Texas receivers Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy could also pique the Bills’ interest if they trade up or even stand pat at No. 28 overall.
