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After 4 seasons rife with playoff heartbreak and drama, the Buffalo Payments are lastly parting methods with star extensive receiver Stefon Diggs. On Wednesday, the Payments traded the four-time Professional Bowler and two draft decisions to the Houston Texans in trade for a 2025 second-round choose.
Contemplating Diggs’ decline in manufacturing through the second half of final season and Gabe Davis’ departure in free company, Buffalo was probably already going to handle the extensive receiver place early on this month’s draft. Nevertheless, now that the necessity has intensified, it’s going to be intriguing to see whether or not GM Brandon Beane adjustments his method to addressing the problem.
With that in thoughts, listed below are 4 routes the Payments may take to switch Diggs, together with a number of potential candidates they might pursue.
Choice No. 1: Commerce up within the first spherical to land a blue-chip prospect
Potential targets: Rome Odunze, Washington; Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
The Payments maintain the twenty eighth total choose within the first spherical however personal 10 2024 draft decisions. Having acquired an extra 2025 second-rounder on Wednesday, Buffalo is well-positioned to supply a hefty package deal to maneuver up from choose 28 and draft a brand new star extensive receiver.
In all chance, a workforce inside vary of choosing Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. or LSU’s Malik Nabers will not be considering transferring down to select 28. That leaves Odunze, the nation’s main receiver in 2023 (1,640 yards), because the almost certainly elite wideout prospect that Buffalo may theoretically commerce up for.
However, if the Payments cannot land the projected prime 10 choose, Odunze, it might be clever to maneuver as much as the center of the primary spherical to pick Thomas. The 6-foot-3, 209-pounder was a well-liked choose for Buffalo in mock drafts earlier this offseason, although his inventory has since risen because of a standout efficiency on the NFL Scouting Combine. Buffalo wants an out of doors extensive receiver able to being a dynamic deep risk, and the freakish athlete Thomas, the FBS chief in receiving touchdowns this previous season (17), suits the invoice.
Choice No. 2: Choose a large receiver at choose 28
Potential targets: Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, Texas; Keon Coleman, Florida State
Even when Buffalo stands pat within the first spherical, it should nonetheless select between a number of promising abilities. Texas’ Mitchell is essentially the most full receiver talked about above on this part, although his former Longhorns teammate Worthy’s blazing velocity can be fascinating to observe with Payments QB Josh Allen throwing him the ball. Nonetheless, including a receiver with extra dimension, equivalent to Coleman, would probably profit Buffalo essentially the most, particularly after shedding Davis.
Choice No. 3: Spend a second-round choose on a wideout
Potential targets: Xavier Legette, South Carolina; Troy Franklin, Oregon
The Payments may benefit from this 12 months’s class being so deep on the place and choose a receiver in spherical two in the event that they miss out on wideouts they’re comfy drafting within the first spherical. Whereas Legette and Franklin, each subject stretchers, won’t be accessible at choose 60, Beane has loads of ammo to maneuver as much as safe one in every of them.
In 2023, Legette reeled in 71 passes for 1,255 yards and 7 touchdowns, whereas Franklin ranked sixth within the FBS in receiving yards (1,383) and third in touchdowns (14).
Choice No. 4: Commerce for a longtime participant
Potential targets: Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers; Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
If Buffalo in the end cannot land a viable substitute for Diggs by the draft, it may all the time flip its consideration to the commerce market, with promising children Higgins and Aiyuk being potential targets.
Higgins, who was franchise-tagged after racking up a career-low 656 receiving yards in an injury-riddled 2023 season, has already requested a commerce. Aiyuk, then again, may finally be made accessible since he and the 49ers are “not shut” to reaching an settlement on a contract extension, per NFL Community’s Mike Garafolo.
Shelling out draft picks and an enormous extension for a participant won’t be the most suitable choice for the Payments, contemplating they needed to make a number of cuts earlier this offseason to handle their tough wage cap scenario.
Even so, if Buffalo is keen to pay the value, Aiyuk must be its prime goal. He is produced like a No. 1 possibility regardless of enjoying on one of many NFL’s deepest rosters. The 26-year-old might be a extra sensible possibility than Higgins anyway, as Cincinnati would probably be much less inclined to assist out a fellow AFC contender.
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