When the Chiefs traded up with the Bills from the 27th spot on the first round to the 10th spot in the 2017 draft, it turned out to be one of the best trades in NFL history.
Kansas City used the pick to take Patrick Mahomes, who has already has already won three Super Bowls for the Chiefs, so giving up two firsts and a third round pick was an incredible deal.
For the Bills, though, the trade was a disaster.
When they recently made cornerback Tre’Davious White a designated a June 1 cut, the Bills were left virtually emptyhanded in the deal. The used the 27th pick in 2017 they got in the deal to take White.
With the 2018 first-round pick, they drafted Tremaine Edwards,who left as a free agent a year ago. And they packaged the 2017 third-round pick to get Zay Jones, who was later traded. They only player they have left is Tommy Doyle, who was obtained in the Jones trade but he has played in only 12 games.
Fortunately for the Bills, they got quarterback Josh Allen in 2018.
But they learned that trading down isn’t always a good idea. Even if they didn’t have Mahome rated that highly, they could have taken cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who went to the Saints with the next pick and has gone to four Pro Bowls.
Meanwhile, the Bills have been a contender with Allen at quarterback but have yet to make a Super Bowl with him. And they have twice lost to Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs, including last January.
For the Chiefs, it is the trade that keeps on giving. For the Bills, they are left thinking of what might have been.