NFL Draft 2024: Who will Buffalo Bills, Brandon Beane pick? Live coverage

The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off tonight at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.

The Chicago Bears will be on the clock for the No. 1 pick while the Buffalo Bills have one first-round pick at No. 28.

This is obviously a big weekend for the Bills who because of a top-heavy salary cap situation led by Josh Allen need to add younger, cost-controlled players who can make contributions in 2024. Who will the Bills pick in the NFL Draft? Will they take a receiver early, or possibly two? All of those will be answered.

You can find live coverage all through the NFL Draft here.

More: What time does the 2024 NFL Draft start today? How to watch, live stream every round

Apparently, defense is optional in the NFL

We are now 14 picks into the first round, and not a single defensive player has been taken. The Raiders just selected tight end Brock Bowers out of Georgia and the Saints grabbed Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga to keep the streak alive.

So far, six quarterbacks have been taken, three receivers, and four tackles. The previous longest period of time before a defensive player was picked was seven in the 2021 draft, so we have now doubled that mark.

As for the quarterbacks, the Falcons stunned everyone by grabbing Washington’s Michael Penix, and the Broncos also made a surprise pick with Bo Nix of Oregon. I’d have to imagine neither fan base is thrilled because both of those seem like pretty sizable reaches. We’ll see.

The Jets took full advantage of the QB-hungry teams. They had the 10th pick, the Vikings were 11 and the Broncos 12. They listened to offers from both teams who clearly wanted to pick Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, and they made the deal with the Vikings. By going down just one spot, the Jets also picked up picks in the fourth and fifth round.

Receivers coming off the board as expected

The top three receivers in this draft class were taken within the first nine picks of the first round, so now the intrigue begins for the Bills who have continually been linked to the player who is widely considered the fourth-best receiver prospect, Brian Thomas.

Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. went No. 4 overall to the Cardinals, Malik Nabers of LSU went No. 6 to the Giants, and Washington’s Rome Odunze went No. 9 to the Bears.

If there was a chance that Brandon Beane was going to take a big swing to get one of those three, it was always thought that it would be for Odunze because he figured to be the last of that group taken, and he was.

And Chicago’s pick was a popular spot because the Bears started this draft with only four picks and it seemed like they would entertain trading No. 9 to stockpile a few more. But if Beane made a call to Canandaigua native and Bears GM Ryan Poles, he was rebuffed.

So now all eyes turn to Thomas. There were a few mock drafts that had Thomas falling all the way to the Bills at No. 28, meaning they wouldn’t have to trade up. But No. 28 is a long way away and if Thomas is truly the player the Bills covet, you would have to expect he won’t want to risk waiting that long.

Remember what he said at his pre-draft news conference last week when he was asked about trading up, something he did last year to make sure he secured tight end Dalton Kincaid. “If there is a guy I like and I’m confident,” he said, “I want to go to bed Thursday night that I got him. If that happens again, I could do it. I can’t really tell you if we go up, go back or draft at 28. I have no idea how it’s going to fall.”

The QB parade has begun

We all know the NFL is a quarterback league and the start of the first round was a clear indication of that.

As expected, the Bears took Caleb Williams of USC No. 1 overall, and then the intrigue surrounding where the others would fall began. The Commanders went with Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU, and the Patriots - who have been in a quarterback abyss mode since Tom Brady left - took North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

Obviously, Maye will be the player of utmost interest to the Bills and their fans as he tries to do what 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones never did - give the Patriots competent play at the game’s most important position.

Now, we wait to see if the run continues as J.J. McCarthy of national champion Michigan is the next highest rated QB. Or will the run on receivers begin?

If not receiver, then what?

The wide consensus is that the Bills are going to find a way to grab a wide receiver in the first round Thursday night, and there are multiple scenarios in play.

Brandon Beane could take a huge chunk of draft capital - both this year and next - and take a huge jump from No. 28 into a spot into the top 10 to get someone like Washington’s Rome Odunze. Or they could cut a lesser swath into the asset bucket and perhaps get into the mid-teens if LSU’s Brian Thomas is there.

Maybe they just stay put and take the remaining receiver who they have their best grade on, or there’s even a chance that if they don’t have a first-round grade on anyone when their pick comes up, trade back into the second round and acquire an extra pick or two.

However, what if none of those scenarios play out to their satisfaction? Would the Bills move off receiver and fill a need elsewhere? That’s a distinct possibility, and defensive line might be where they go, particularly tackle.

Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones are locked in as starters, but the rotational depth includes two players on one-year deals, Austin Johnson and Deshawn Williams. And the 32-year-old Jones is on a contract that can be moved on from after 2024, so there is a need to get younger at the position.

One player who could be available is Jer’Zhan Newton of Illinois who is projected to go right around the end of the first round or early in the second. The 304-pounder was known more for his pass rush ability than his play against the run. He made 18 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in four college seasons, and in 2022 and 2023 combined he had 103 QB pressures which were the most of any FBS interior linemen.

Should the Bills trade up in the first round?

Will the Bills try to trade up and snag a receiver they could use after the Stefon Diggs trade? Or could they consider trading down to gather even more assets?

"We'll do both ways," Beane said. "I think that's the best way to prepare for every scenario. We'll go through with the scouts the various scenarios that could happen and just play the board."

See what else Beane said before the draft here.

What time does the NFL Draft start?

∎ Round 1: Thursday, April 25, 8 p.m. ET

∎ Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 26, 7 p.m. ET

∎ Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 27, noon ET

∎ Location: Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, Detroit, Michigan

Buffalo Bills draft history

The NFL Draft is, and always has been, the most important tool that teams have at their disposal when it comes to building their rosters.

Each year, the teams that do it well - and I would consider the Buffalo Bills as one of those teams since the start of the Sean McDermott/Brandon Beane era began in 2017 - add young, talented, and relatively inexpensive pieces who go on to play critical roles.

Here is a look back at the great draft picks, the finds and the busts.

What channel is the NFL Draft on?

The NFL Draft will air on NFL Network, NFL+, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes all three days. If you have an over-the-air antenna that picks up ABC, you can watch the draft without a cable or live streaming subscription.

How to watch, stream the 2024 NFL Draft:

∎ Cable: NFL Network, NFL+, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes

∎ Streaming: NFL+, ESPN+, Hulu+, FuboTV

What picks do Buffalo Bills have in 2024 NFL Draft?

The Bills’ 10 selections are at No. 28 (Round 1), No. 60 (Round 3), No. 128 (Round 4), No. 133 (Round 4), No. 144 (Round 5), No. 160 (Round 5), No. 163 (Round 5), No. 200 (Round 6), No. 204 (Round 6) and No. 248 (Round 7).

2024 NFL Draft order Rounds 1 and 2

NFL Draft Round 1 order

1. Chicago Bears (from CAR)

2. Washington Commanders

3. New England Patriots

4. Arizona Cardinals

5. Los Angeles Chargers

6. New York Giants

7. Tennessee Titans

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. Chicago Bears

10. New York Jets

11. Minnesota Vikings

12. Denver Broncos

13. Las Vegas Raiders

14. New Orleans Saints

15. Indianapolis Colts

16. Seattle Seahawks

17. Jacksonville Jaguars

18. Cincinnati Bengals

19. Los Angeles Rams

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

21. Miami Dolphins

22. Philadelphia Eagles

23. Minnesota Vikings (from CLE through HOU)

24. Dallas Cowboys

25. Green Bay Packers

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

27. Arizona Cardinals (from HOU)

28. Buffalo Bills

29. Detroit Lions

30. Baltimore Ravens

31. San Francisco 49ers

32. Kansas City Chiefs

NFL Draft Round 2 order

33. Carolina Panthers

34. New England Patriots

35. Arizona Cardinals

36. Washington Commanders

37. Los Angeles Chargers

38. Tennessee Titans

39. Carolina Panthers (from NYG)

40. Washington Commanders (from CHI)

41. Green Bay Packers (from NYJ)

42. Houston Texans (from MIN)

43. Atlanta Falcons

44. Las Vegas Raiders

45. New Orleans Saints (from DEN)

46. Indianapolis Colts

47. New York Giants (from SEA)

48. Jacksonville Jaguars

49. Cincinnati Bengals

50. Philadelphia Eagles (from NO)

51. Pittsburgh Steelers

52. Los Angeles Rams

53. Philadelphia Eagles

54. Cleveland Browns

55. Miami Dolphins

56. Dallas Cowboys

57. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

58. Green Bay Packers

59. Houston Texans

60. Buffalo Bills

61. Detroit Lions

62. Baltimore Ravens

63. San Francisco 49ers

64. Kansas City Chiefs

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NFL Draft 2024: Buffalo Bills picks, trades, live updates