Buffalo Bills Draft: 3 surprise first round options at pick 27

The 2023 NFL Draft is here, and the Buffalo Bills have an interesting night ahead of them.

General manager Brandon Beane enters the draft with a total of six picks, and we’ve heard everything from the team trading back to potentially trading up. So, expect the unexpected, as they say.

In the first round, the Bills own pick no. 27 overall. They have a couple of clear needs to address early on, but every year there are some big surprises. If Beane and the front office have fallen in love with one of these select prospects, they could surprise fans and make a pick that has Bills Mafia asking questions.

Surprise first-round options for the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 NFL Draft: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

The Bills definitely need to add a playmaker on offense, early, in this draft. Rumor had it that, if they were to move up, it were to be for an offensive lineman or an offensive skill player. One option the team might have for the latter, at no. 27, is North Carolina wideout Josh Downs.

Now, is Downs a bad pick, by any means? Not necessarily. However, he’s graded as a second-round pick by most outlets you’ll read, and he’s consistently stayed there for a couple of months.

Downs is one of those shifty types who is a bit undersized but makes a lot of sudden moves before and after the catch. He’s tough, sheds tackles well and provides a spark, sometimes, when you least expect it. He’s a good athlete, but isn’t elite at anything in particular, which is why he shouldn’t be a first rounder.

If the Bills fall in love with him, though, they wouldn’t have a shot at him late in the second round (at least, it wouldn’t be likely) and would have to pull the trigger in Round 1.