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Former Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Buffalo Bills are in need of a top receiver after shipping Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, and one analyst suggests they could find one through a second blockbuster trade.
In a mock draft published on April 16, Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press predicted that the Bills would trade up to the No. 4 overall pick, swapping with the Arizona Cardinals to select wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. While Maaddi acknowledged it would be an expensive trade, he believes the pressure to win a Super Bowl would prompt the Bills to make the move.
Bills Make Bold Move to Extend Super Bowl Window
Harrison is seen as the top receiving prospect and one of the best overall players in this year’s draft, with most analysts expecting he will go within the top five. While other mock drafts have predicted the Bills would trade up to the back end of the top 10 or later to snag one of the other top receivers, Maaddi believes they could go for best.
“Harrison, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, was the best WR on the field last season,” Maaddi wrote. “His stock has slipped some because he skipped offseason workouts but his tape is enough. The Bills are under pressure to win a Super Bowl and need a No. 1 wideout after trading Stefon Diggs.”
Maaddi predicted it would take a major haul of draft picks for the Bills to move that far up the board, swapping their No. 28 overall pick along with second- (No. 60), fourth -(No. 128) and fifth-round picks (No. 160) this year along with first- and second-round picks in 2025. The Bills would also get a fourth-round pick in return.
The Bills have plenty of ammo to make such a move, going into the draft with 11 overall picks. Even after sending a package of picks to the Cardinals, the Bills would still have nine total selections to address other roster holes.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane has not been shy about making first-round moves, taking smaller jumps up the board in 2022 to snag cornerback Kaiir Elam and again last season to select tight end Dalton Kincaid. But the Bills have not made such a large move since 2014, when they jumped up to No. 4 overall to select wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
Cardinals Could Hold Onto Pick
The Bills might not ever get the opportunity to take Harrison. SI.com insider Albert Breer noted that Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort could stay put and take Harrison, who would become an immediate cornerstone of the team’s rebuild.
“What’s unique about Arizona’s position is that, despite picking fourth, the Cardinals will almost certainly have an opportunity to pick the best nonquarterback in this year’s class,” Breer wrote. “What a few people have said to me over the past few months, to that end, is that Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. would be a wheelhouse pick for Ossenfort, the same way Harrison’s ex-teammate Paris Johnson Jr. was in 2023.”
Breer went on to suggest that if the Cardinals did entertain trade offers for the No. 4 pick, they would likely require a 2025 first-round pick as part of the package.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions for Heavy.com. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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