2018 NFL draft: Bills trade with Tampa Bay, moving up to No. 7 to take QB Josh Allen

It’s likely been a tumultuous 24 hours or so for Josh Allen, after tweets the quarterback sent as a high schooler in which he used a racial slur were dug up and highlighted on Wednesday night, but it likely all disappeared after his phone began ringing around 8:45 p.m. ET on Thursday.

That’s when Allen got the call that the Buffalo Bills were drafting the former Wyoming quarterback at No. 7, trading up from No. 12 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get a player many figured would have been gone at that spot.

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On Wednesday, there was a report out of Cleveland that the Browns were likely going to pick Allen or Baker Mayfield at the No. 1 spot; they ended up choosing Mayfield.

The Bills traded their two second-round picks, at Nos. 53 and 56, as well as their original first-round spot to Tampa Bay to make the move.

“I want to say thank you to the Bills for putting their faith in me,” Allen said on ESPN. “This is one of the greatest moments of my life.”

Allen is best known for his huge arm, but there have been consistent questions about his accuracy – he completed just 56 percent of his passes as Wyoming’s starter the last two seasons.

The Buffalo Bills traded up five spots in the first round, from No. 12 to No. 7, to draft quarterback Josh Allen. (AP)
The Buffalo Bills traded up five spots in the first round, from No. 12 to No. 7, to draft quarterback Josh Allen. (AP)

More NFL draft coverage from Yahoo Sports:
Browns draft Mayfield with No. 1 pick
Giants take Barkley with No. 2 pick instead of Darnold
Watch: Best of the NFL draft red carpet
NFL draft grades 2018: The emoji edition
Allen on offensive tweets: ‘We were young and dumb’

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