The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and it was quite the wild ride. The Buffalo Bills traded up a couple of spots, all while the rest of the league joined it, and made things feel like a whirlwind.
Trades galore and a few reaches later, and the end of the first round came. The Bills ended up dealing up two spots to no. 25 overall in order to snag Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid, giving Josh Allen another top-tier weapon within that offense.
Now, on Day 2, the Bills enter in with both a second and third-round pick to work with. Buffalo owns no. 59 in the second round and no. 91 in the third. In the second round, specifically, there are some great players available and worth targeting.
If the Bills wanted to make a move in the second round and take someone with tremendous value, they should look at trading up for one of these players.
Players the Buffalo Bills should trade up for in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
One of the areas the Bills still have a need is at linebacker. After seeing Tremaine Edmunds leave via free agency, the Bills now have Tyrel Dodson as the next man up. However, they could use a much more NFL-ready, dynamic linebacker.
Clemson’s Trenton Simpson is still there and will likely go near the top of the second round. But the Bills should entertain another trade up to get him.
Simpson is 6-foot-2, 235 pounds and ultra athletic. He’s got the speed and burst to be used on blitzes, all while being able to hone those traits within pass coverage as well.
The speed comes into play sideline to sideline, too, as Simpson is the perfect type to use on quarterback spies and can also get to ball carriers quickly, being strong against the run.
Simpson is a versatile linebacker, too, being able to play multiple spots. Taking Edmunds’ role, though, would be a big hole filled within this defense.
Players the Buffalo Bills should trade up for in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft: Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech
One of the other needs within this defense is finding another edge rusher. The Bills will be without Von Miller, of course, for a little while as he recovers from his ACL injury, still. After the New York Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers, it seemed even more apparent that the Bills had to address their pass rush.
Buffalo has to put emphasis on this position, especially with the amount of elite quarterbacks they’re up against within the AFC now. Georgia Tech’s Keion White would be an excellent trade-up candidate, as some even had him mocked in the first round.
White stands 6-foot-5, weighing 285 pounds and is one of the more impressive blends of size, speed and athleticism at the position in this year’s class.
One of the things Bills fans would appreciate about this guy is his motor. He plays with a sense of urgency, fighting through all types of blocks and techniques from opposing offensive linemen. He also has elite short-area quickness, giving him an uncanny ability to stop run plays before they’re able to develop further.
White would come in and start opposite Gregory Rousseau from Day 1, and give this defense a totally different element that’s been missing.
Players the Buffalo Bills should trade up for in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Lastly, another guy who was mocked in the first round by some over the past few months and would be worth a trade up, is Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
If the Bills truly wanted to give Josh Allen the most weapons possible, preventing any excuses for this offense, they would go up and get this playmaker. Hyatt is an explosive, dangerous wide receiver who can take it to the house on any given play. He’s also an exceptional athlete.
Hyatt possesses 4.4 speed, a 40-inch vertical and an impressive 11-foot-3 broad jump, while standing six feet tall. He is, by far and away, the most exciting wide receiver who will go on Day 2, and would take this Bills offense to a whole different level.
While other needs are pressing, just the thought of having added both Dalton Kincaid and Jaylin Hyatt is a scary, scary idea. Other areas would still need addressing, but Josh Allen and the Bills would be scoring a whole heck of a lot of points in 2023, that’s for certain.