This is the only way a team could trade away the best player in the NFL and not lose the trade.
While doing my research for the Bills post I recently did, I came across this trade. In the 2017 NFL draft, the Chiefs traded up with the Bills to the 10th overall pick to draft a QB from Texas Tech: Patrick Mahomes. Off of that sentence alone, it probably looks like the Bills absolutely lost that trade. However, the Bills used the picks to draft two superstars and a great starter, so they didn’t lose, at all.
It’s time to trace all of the picks from that trade and see how it all worked out. Let’s get started!
Individual Trades
Chiefs trade up for Mahomes
Chiefs receive:
- 2017 #10 pick – QB Patrick Mahomes
Bills receive:
- 2017 #27 pick – CB Tre’Davious White
- 2017 #91 pick (later traded)
- 2017 #22 pick (later traded)
This is the trade that started it all. The Chiefs had Alex Smith, but they weren’t happy with him. Because of that, they traded up to #10. A lot of people thought they might take Deshaun Watson, but they took Mahomes, which, in hindsight, was the right pick. The Bills moved down to #27 and pick up a 3rd rounder (#91 overall) and a future 1st rounder. They used that #27 overall pick to pick up Tre’Davious White. Tre White has become a stud CB, and I think he’ll be the best corner in the league by this year. This pick on its own makes this a kinda solid trade for the Bills, but it’s not over yet.
Bills trade up for Zay Jones
Rams receive:
- 2017 #44 pick – TE Gerald Everett
- 2017 #91 pick – S John Johnson
Bills receive:
- 2017 #37 pick – WR Zay Jones
- 2017 #149 pick (later traded)
The Bills used the #91 pick from the Mahomes trade to move up 7 spots from #44 to #37 to take Zay Jones. They also got a 2017 5th round pick (#149 overall) in return. The Rams would use the #44 pick on Gerald Everett and the #91 pick on John Johnson. This was probably the only bad pick that the Bills made. They traded up for Zay Jones when there were still guys like Juju Smith-Schuster, Cooper Kupp, Chris Godwin, and Kenny Golladay left. However, they didn’t give up a whole lot to trade up for this, so it’s not terrible.
Bills trade up for Dion Dawkins
Falcons receive:
- 2017 #75 pick – LB Duke Riley
- 2017 #149 pick – CB Damontae Kazee
- 2017 #156 pick – RB Brian Hill
Bills receive:
- 2017 #63 pick – OT Dion Dawkins
The Bills used the #149 pick from the Jones trade and the #156 pick to move up from #75 to #63 to take Dion Dawkins. The Falcons used their three picks to take Duke Riley (#75), Damontae Kazee (#149), and Brian Hill (#156). This was an incredible trade for the Bills. They picked up Dawkins, who has been a good starting offensive tackle. As a Broncos fan, I can tell you how hard it is to find good tackles. Dawkins should be a fixture on that Bills line for a long time.
Bills trade up for Tremaine Edmunds
Ravens receive:
- 2018 #22 pick (later traded) – LB Rashaan Evans
- 2018 #65 pick (later traded) – OT Brandon Parker
Bills receive:
- 2018 #16 pick – LB Tremaine Edmunds
- 2018 #154 pick – CB Siran Neal
Now, we’ve moved to the next draft. The Bills gave a 3rd round pick (#65) to the Ravens to move up six spots from #22 to #16. They also got a 5th round pick (#154) from the Ravens. They used the #16 pick on Tremaine Edmunds and the #154 pick on Siran Neal. The Ravens traded the picks that they received, and they were used to draft Rashaan Evans (#22) and Brandon Parker (#65). Tremaine Edmunds is, without a doubt, the best player from this trade. Edmunds is one of the best young linebackers in the league, and he, along with Tre White, is the future of the Bills defense.
Final Trade
Bills gave:
- 2017 #10 pick – QB Patrick Mahomes
- 2017 #44 pick – TE Gerald Everett
- 2017 #75 pick – LB Duke Riley
- 2017 #156 pick – RB Brian Hill
- 2018 #65 pick (later traded) – OT Brandon Parker
Bills receive:
- 2017 #27 pick – CB Tre’Davious White
- 2017 #37 pick – WR Zay Jones
- 2017 #63 pick – OT Dion Dawkins
- 2018 #16 pick – LB Tremaine Edmunds
- 2018 #154 pick – CB Siran Neal
In the end, this is what the trade looks like. The only real star that the Bills gave up was Mahomes (who, to be fair, is the biggest superstar in the league). In return, they got two stars in White and Edmunds, and they got a high-end starter in Dawkins. Obviously, the Bills would draft Mahomes if they could do it again, but as far as returns go, this was a very good one.
