Buffalo Bills fans were left sitting on the edge of their seats Thursday after Brandon Beane opted not to make a first-round pick on Day 1 of the 2026 NFL draft.
Three times the team chose to trade away a first-round pick rather than pull the trigger on a player. In the process, Beane gained two overall picks, up from seven to nine, and he improved his positions in several rounds.
Clearly now, Days 2 and 3 will be critical for both the Bills and Beane, who is on the hot seat in Buffalo after popular head coach Sean McDermott was shown the door in the wake of the 33-30 loss to the Denver Broncos in January. Since that moment, Beane has been on the spot to get QB Josh Allen and the rest of the team, at least, into the Super Bowl, if not win it all.
More: Best available players for Bills on Day 2 of NFL Draft
The selections of wide receiver KC Concepcion, who was born in Rochester, at No. 24 and safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 were likely blows to Beane's draft board when it came time to pick at No. 26. Concepcion had even come to Orchard Park for a pre-draft visit for interviews, medical checks and meetings with coaches and staff.
With Allen not getting any younger, it begs the question: Did Beane make the right call by trading out of the first round?
Our poll will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The results will be posted on our Instagram account Monday morning.
1969 - RB O.J. Simspon: He was the first player to cross the 2,000-yard rushing mark in a season. He finished with 10,183 yards and 57 touchdowns in nine years with Buffalo and is among the Buffalo Bills' greatest picks.
1970 - DT Al Cowlings: Long before he became O.J. Simpson's wheelman, Cowlings was the fifth overall pick in the draft but gave the Bills three lackluster seasons.
1971 - WR J.D. Hill: The No. 4 overall pick made the Pro Bowl in 1972 with career highs of 52 receptions and 754 receiving yards. He played seven years in the NFL, five with the BIlls and two with the Detroit Lions.
1972 - DE Walt Patulski: The No. 1 overall choice, he bombed during four seasons in Buffalo.
1973 - TE Paul Seymour: The No. 7 overall pick in the caught 62 passes for 818 yards and three touchdowns in five seasons.
1973 - G Joe DeLamielleure: The Bills second pick of the first round (No. 26) helped Buffalo lead the NFL in rushing yards in his first season, paving the way for O.J. Simpson to rush for 2,003 yards. The six-time Pro Bowler played 13 seasons (seven in Buffalo) and is in the Hall of Fame.
1974 - WR/TE Reuben Gant: The 18th overall pick had a seven-year pro career, but only stood out in 1977, his first as a tight end, when he caught 41 passes for 646 yards and two touchdowns. He is among the Bills greatest draft busts.
1976 - CB Mario Clark: Clark, center, and his teammates are the faces of dejection after the Buffalo Bills' 28-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1982 playoffs. Two years later, the cornerback won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.
1978 - RB Terry Miller: He would be a flash in the pan for the Bills. He rushed for 1,060 yards his rookie season, and would never come close to matching that again.
1979 - LB Tom Cousineau: The No. 1 overall choice never played a down for the Bills. He refused to sign a contract, went to the CFL for a few years and after the Bills traded his rights to Cleveland he signed with the Browns but never did much.
1979 - WR Jerry Butler: Butler was the second of two first-round picks by the Buffalo Bills during the 1979 NFL draft. He played his entire career with Buffalo and was a 1980 Pro Bowl selection.
1980 - C Jim Ritcher: The 16th overall pick was selected to two Pro Bowls, played in all four Buffalo Super Bowls and is on the Bills Wall of Fame.
1981 - F Booker Moore: The 28th overall pick is considered another Buffalo Bills draft bust, playing just four seasons of pro ball.