After deciding they could wait to make their first-round selection on Thursday, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott couldn't stand by and wait for the wide receiver they coveted in the second round.
The Bills moved up seven spots from 44th overall to select East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones at 37th overall. Buffalo dealt with the Los Angeles Rams, giving up the 44th and 91st (third round) overall selections in return for 37th and 149th (fifth round) overall in order to get Jones.
Jones was the fourth wide receiver selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Bills still have six picks remaining in the 2017 NFL Draft, but now only one more on Day Two (75th overall). They now possess four fifth-round selections.
Joe B's Take
The Bills, feeling like they were playing with house money with the 91st overall selection that they acquired Thursday from Kansas City, chose not to stand idly by as the second round got underway.
If they did not make the move, the Los Angeles Rams were among a handful of teams ahead of the Bills that were clearly in need of a wide receiver. The move up to get him must have come with a clear-as-day recommendation from the Bills' new wide receiver coach Phil McGeoghan, who was serving in the same role and working with Jones every day last season at East Carolina.
This was a huge need for the Bills, and Jones was the best of the prospects remaining at the position. At 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, the Bills are adding a wideout that brings size to the position -- and a player that head coach Sean McDermott believes can work both inside as a slot receiver and outside.
Jones' ability to catch the ball and his superb route running was on display all week at this year's Senior Bowl in Mobile. Though he may have some problems with separation, he quelled those fears by showing the trait to catch contested catches quite often.
Having four fifth-round selections also gives them even further flexibility to move up to the fourth round if they feel motivated enough about a player that remains on the board. The move was made because the Bills felt the wide receiver group was getting thin, so they elected to not miss out on the guy the really wanted.
While it puts a little more pressure on them to hit on their third-round selection (75th overall), it doesn't detract from the need at the wide receiver position, with only Andre Holmes, Philly Brown, and others that were set to be the main competitors for a starting job.
You'd much rather have what you believe to be a sure thing in Jones, as opposed to hoping a third or fifth-round selection can surprise you in camp and win the starting wide receiver job.
This is a solid pick for the Bills and has all the makings of them finding their second straight starter in the 2017 NFL Draft.
