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Bills Trade Down, Draft Bowery as Raiders Grab McCoy

4/25/2026

Summary

Bills Trade Down

Bills traded down from pick No. 101 to No. 102 with the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Raiders used No. 101 to select cornerback Jerod McCoy from Tennessee.
Bills used No. 102 to select offensive tackle Jude Bowery from Boston College.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane selected edge rusher T.J. Parker at No. 35 and cornerback Davison Igbinosun at No. 62.
FanDuel gave Buffalo third-best odds (+1000) to win Super Bowl LXI in 2026.

Summary

Bills Reshape Defense

Terry Pegula dismissed head coach Sean McDermott after a playoff loss, prompting a draft strategy.
The team is shifting to a 3-4 defense under coordinator Jim Leonhard, reshaping safety and edge-rusher duties.
Bill Beane likened the DJ Moore trade to second-round pick, said receiver room includes Marquez Shakir, James Coleman, Curtis Palmer, James Hardman Jr. and Darnell Shavers, and added rookie Davison Igbinosun improve off-coverage to earn a roster spot.

History

Historical Context

The NFL draft, created in 1936 to equalize talent and curb bidding wars, assigns picks in reverse order of the previous season’s record. On April 15-16 2000, the New England Patriots used the 199th overall selection in the sixth round to select quarterback Tom Brady, a move that sparked a dynasty. The draft’s parity goal still drives teams like the Bills to seek low-cost, high-upside players.

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Bills Trade Down

Bills traded down from pick No. 101 to No. 102 with the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Raiders used No. 101 to select cornerback Jerod McCoy from Tennessee.
Bills used No. 102 to select offensive tackle Jude Bowery from Boston College.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane selected edge rusher T.J. Parker at No. 35 and cornerback Davison Igbinosun at No. 62.
FanDuel gave Buffalo third-best odds (+1000) to win Super Bowl LXI in 2026.

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