While it's not unusual to see divisional rivals bury the hatchet and make trades, the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills surprisingly helped one another's cause on Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Patriots moved up to Buffalo's spot at No. 28 overall, sending the Bills pick No. 31 as well as a fourth-round selection to land Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. Buffalo then made a series of moves to trade out of the first round altogether.
Ultimately, the Bills moved down again, from No. 31 to No. 35, and later used their extra fourth-round pick via the Patriots on UConn WR Skyler Bell.
However, ESPN insider Mike Reiss just revealed that the Bills almost didn't pull the trigger on that deal, which would have likely cost the Patriots a chance to get Lomu.
“Bills general manager Brandon Beane told Sirius XM NFL Radio that he was also considering a different trade option to go directly from 26 to the same range as 35, before ultimately electing for the three individual trade-downs for strategic reasons," Reiss wrote. "Had he chosen otherwise, the Patriots might have been boxed out on moving up for Lomu."
The Bills nearly went a different direction on draft night
Given their glaring need for pass-protection, the Patriots moving up for Lomu made perfect sense. Even if he's still a bit raw, there's a world in which Lomu makes his way to the starting lineup no later than the 2027 season.
But what if he hadn't been available? The Patriots would have been left with suboptimal options and longer-term projects like Markell Bell, Austin Barber, and Caleb Tiernan. Chances are New England would have preferred to trade out of the first round in that scenario.
The Pats used their second-round pick on edge Gabe Jacas, so if Lomu had been unavailable, they may have pivoted and tried to address their pass-rush on Day 1. Auburn's Kendrick Faulk and Clemson's T.J. Parker both would have been available.
There's also a chance that the Patriots could have pivoted with an eye on adding another weapon for quarterback Drake Maye. Denzel Boston was the fourth-best wide receiver on most expert draft boards before he fell to the Cleveland Browns early on Day 2, and he would have been the best offensive player available, assuming the New York Jets still would've taken Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30.
Ultimately, Eliot Wolf and the Patriots got the man they coveted, a promising swing tackle prospect who gives them insurance for both Will Campbell and Morgan Moses. Of course, there's also a scenario in which this move backfires tremendously. Skyler Bell could become a star and torment the Patriots for years, while Lomu could struggle to make the transition to the NFL with Campbell already entrenched as the starting left tackle.
At first glance, it does look like this trade worked out pretty well for both parties.
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