Bills news: The latest news around Buffalo’s draft needs

The Buffalo Bills and their front office are making the final preparations for one of the biggest events of the league year, the annual NFL Draft, which starts on Thursday with the first round and continues through Saturday in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Bills have seven selections in the draft, starting with pick No. 26 at the end of the first round. It’s a familiar drafting position for president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane, who met with the media Monday for his annual pre-draft press conference.

Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by recapping what Beane had to say about Buffalo’s draft needs and offers takeaways from his press conference, including Beane’s thoughts on how many players warrant a first-round grade.

Examining potential fits for the Bills at No. 26

After spending the past few months working with new head coach Joe Brady and the rest of Buffalo’s scouts, how many players does Beane think have earned first-round grades?

“I would say more on the lower end, without saying the number of true first-round grades,” Beane said Monday during his annual pre-draft press conference.

Among the other key takeaways from Beane’s presser: This year’s draft is clouded in unpredictability

“I think there’s players, just talking around the league (and) getting a feel, I think there’s players that feel like they’re going in (Round 1) but their agent, or someone close to them, also realizes they could go anywhere from 20 to 40,” Beane said. “And there’s always players like that. I would say there’s probably maybe more in that category this year.”

Beane could be saying that there are a large number of players who intrigue the Bills with their first-round selection, but it could also mean Beane and Buffalo’s front office would consider trading back from pick No. 26 if they see enough players they like still on the board, with a chance to acquire more draft capital in a deal.

Linked below: Exploring whether Beane is more likely to trade up or move back in the draft; identifying a few players who would make an instant impact as either starters or key depth pieces via the draft, like Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman (pictured below); a run through six players who could hear their names called by the Bills late Thursday night at pick No. 26; and more!