The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is less than a week away and this is the time where most general managers are finalizing their draft board and seeing where they might be able to move around if needed. Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is no stranger to this as he is seemingly constantly moving all around over the course of seven rounds.
The first round in particular is rather interesting as the team is sitting currently at 28th overall but could be trying to work their way up the draft to be in a position to select either Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Odunze. However, to do that they probably need to move into the Top 10.
That will be a challenge as the Bills only have their first and second-round pick this year after trading their third-round pick during the season for cornerback Rasul Douglas. They do have an extra second-round pick in 2025 after trading Stefon Diggs but if they want to try to trade up without trading away their 2025 first-round pick, they will need to include a player.
Buffalo Bills might consider including Spencer Brown in a trade to move up in the first round
It might come as a surprise but one player that might be available is starting right tackle Spencer Brown. He is a former third-round pick by the Bills that is coming off his best season in the NFL but is also entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Bills may have already begun having discussions about a contract extension and if Brown is higher than where they are comfortable with, it makes sense for them to include him in a trade package. Offensive tackle is one of those premium positions that teams covet and a young player like Spencer Brown could be pretty valuable in a trade package.
Another reason that Brown could be part of trade discussions is something that Brandon Beane said on Thursday. He was asked about La'el Collins, who the team signed as a free agent recently, and where he sees him fitting. Beane mentioned he sees him first as a depth piece at right tackle and then a guard.
On La'el Collins role: Beane said he sees him first as a right tackle, then guard, and as a depth piece.
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) April 18, 2024
At one point, La'el Collins was trending towards being one of the better players at his position but he has dealt and in fact sat out all of last year due to a torn ACL suffered at the end of the 2022 season. It certainly would be a risk but the team does have a veteran offensive linemen now on the roster that theoretically could step in right away as a starter.
In 2018, the Bills traded former starting tackle Cody Glenn as they moved up the first round. The Bills may consider a similar move with Spencer Brown in a trade package to put themselves in position to get one of the top wide receivers.