Bills GM Talks Trading for Stefon Diggs over Drafting WR Like Justin Jefferson

In March, the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills pulled off the rare win-win NFL trade. The Vikings sent a disgruntled Stefon Diggs to Buffalo, with the Bills trading their first-, fifth-, and sixth-round picks in 2020 and a fourth-rounder in 2021 to Minnesota.

The Vikings landed Rookie of the Year candidate Justin Jefferson with the first-round pick acquired from the Bills. Diggs, meanwhile, lead the NFL in receptions and is third in receiving yards while helping spur Josh Allen's breakout to franchise-quarterback status. 

Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke to Peter King of NBC Sports about the team's decision to trade for Diggs rather than drafting a receiver like Jefferson, saying he was unsure whether any top-caliber prospect would be available in their spot in Round 1. 

"We were picking at 22," Beane said. "By what we gave up in a draft, on the draft-trade value chart, giving up the five and the six and then the four next year, and getting back the seven, would've got us to about the 17th position. In my mind, I wasn't convinced that we were gonna find a player of his caliber at 17, 18, wherever we could've traded up to get. That was the genesis for it."

Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, the consensus top-three receivers in last year's class, were indeed all taken in the top 17. While Lamb was available at No. 17—the spot Beane theorized he could have landed—the Dallas Cowboys took the Oklahoma product in that spot, meaning they might not have been willing to make a trade. 

While Jefferson has put together one of the greatest rookie wide receiver seasons in league history, no one saw this level of breakout coming from a player who was considered the fourth-best player at his position. Ruggs, Jeudy and Lamb have all struggled to consistently be effective, which is par for the course for rookie wideouts.

Beane said the security of adding a veteran, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, also played a factor in choosing a Diggs trade over rolling the dice on a rookie. 

"This was an offseason that the pandemic was starting and we weren't sure what kind of offseason we were gonna have," Beane said. "How much of an impact was a rookie receiver going to be able to make? We got a quarterback on a rookie contract. I just thought it made sense for us to add a proven commodity and Stefon was looking for a fresh start."

The deal has clearly worked out for all parties, with Jefferson drawing comparisons to rookie Randy Moss and Diggs becoming arguably the best receiver in the entire sport. This trade appears to be one both sides would gladly again if given the chance.