Bills GM Brandon Beane Too Smart for His Own Good During 2026 NFL Draft

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bills GM Brandon Beane Too Smart for His Own Good During 2026 NFL Draft

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Apr 23, 2026 11:40 PM ET

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This is a critical season for the Buffalo Bills. After they fired head coach Sean McDermott after all the success he had, a statement was made. Terry Pegula expects to win a Super Bowl, and while new head coach Joe Brady is feeling the pressure, so too should general manager Brandon Beane.

Beane has been in charge since 2017 and shares as much of the blame, if not more, than McDermott for the inability to get to the Super Bowl. Pegula showed faith in Beane by giving him more power after moving on from McDermott, but that comes with added pressure.

For that reason, Bills on SI's Alex Brasky said the 2026 NFL draft is the most important in Beane's career. Beane needs to nail this draft and that should have started with a strong pick in Round 1.

Unfortunately, Beane decided to do what he's done far too often. He tried to outsmart everyone by trading back and stockpiling picks. Beane didn't just do this once either, but he traded back three times on Thursday.

What trades did the Bills make on Thursday night?

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Buffalo initially had the 26th overall pick but dropped down two spots in a trade with the Houston Texans. They added pick No. 69 and No. 167 in the process, but also sent pick No. 91 to the Texans. Overall, not a terrible trade.

Then, they moved from No. 28 to No. 31 in a trade with the New England Patriots. This time, they added the 125th pick in Round 4.

Once the Bills were on the clock again at No. 31, fans were shocked to hear yet another trade was made. This time, they traded with the Tennessee Titans, giving up No. 31, No. 69, and No. 165 for No. 35, No. 66, and No. 101.

What picks do the Bills have left?

That's a lot to digest, so here's a look at which picks they have left:

Round 2, No. 35
Round 3, No. 66
Round 4, No. 101
Round 4, No. 125
Round 4, No. 126
Round 5, No. 167
Round 5, No. 168
Round 6, No. 182
Round 7, No. 220

Brandon Beane ignored multiple players who could have helped the Bills

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What was most infuriating about the trades is that Beane could have added legit contributors . Even after moving from No. 26 to No. 28, he had a chance to take Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who went to the New York Jets at No. 30. There was also Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods, who went 29th to the Kansas City Chiefs.

They also could have used Auburn's Keldric Faulk, who was taken at No. 31 by the Titans. Thankfully, they have the third pick on Friday, but fans are tired of shipping off premium picks to stockpile mid-round dart throws.

This article first appeared on Buffalo Bills on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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