Bills were thrilled when Giants took Daniel Jones

[Billy Buffalo]

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The Bills didn’t know how the first round of the draft would unfold in front of them, but they did know one thing: They wanted to see more than one quarterback off the board in the first eight picks.

Buffalo, drafting ninth, took quarterback Josh Allen in the first round last year and wasn’t interested in a quarterback this year. So as the Bills looked over their board, the best chance of getting one of their top-rated players was to have more than one quarterback selected among the first eight players.

After Kyler Murray had already gone first overall and then the Giants took Daniel Jones sixth, Bills G.M. Brandon Beane said he knew he wouldn’t trade down because one of their top prospects would still be there.

“Once the quarterback was taken by the Giants, Daniel Jones, the board was sitting perfect. At that point, we knew we’re not moving back,” Beane said in a video published by the Bills.

The video shows footage inside the Bills’ draft room of the team’s personnel people cheering when the ninth pick came up and Ed Oliver was still available. Oliver was one of the Bills’ favorite players, and a lot of mock drafts had him going off the board before the Bills picked. The Giants’ surprise decision paved the way for the Bills getting their man.