Buffalo moved down from No. 14 to No. 21 in the 2001 first…
Buffalo moved down from No. 14 to No. 21 in the 2001 first round and added Tampa Bay's second-round pick. The Bills still landed cornerback Nate Clements, who became a Pro Bowler and intercepted 23 passes in six Buffalo seasons. They then flipped the added No. 51 selection to Denver for picks used on Travis Henry and Brandon Spoon. Tampa Bay used No. 14 on long-time starting tackle Kenyatta Walker.
Buffalo Bills Received
- pick 2001 1st round pick (21st overall, Nate Clements)
- pick 2001 2nd round pick (51st overall subsequently traded, Paul Toviessi )
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- pick 2001 1st round pick (14th overall, Kenyatta Walker)
Trade Analysis
Buffalo executed the kind of trade-down that becomes especially valuable when the team still lands a premium player. Tampa Bay wanted Florida tackle Kenyatta Walker at No. 14 and sent the Bills the 21st and 51st selections. Buffalo stayed in the first round and selected Ohio State cornerback Nate Clements. Clements became an immediate starter, intercepted six passes in his second season and eventually made the Pro Bowl. Across six seasons with the Bills he started 91 games, intercepted 23 passes and also contributed as a returner before signing a major free-agent contract with San Francisco.
The second-round pick created another layer of value. Buffalo did not simply use No. 51. The Bills traded it to Denver for the 58th and 110th picks, selecting running back Travis Henry and linebacker Brandon Spoon. Henry produced consecutive 1,300-yard rushing seasons in 2002 and 2003 and gave Buffalo several years of starting-caliber play. Spoon started 14 games as a rookie before injuries shortened his career.
Tampa Bay's side was not a failure. Walker started all 16 games as a rookie and 73 games over six seasons for the Buccaneers. He was the starting right tackle on the 2002 team that won Super Bowl XXXVII, so the organization received meaningful service from the player it targeted. His career, though, never reached Pro Bowl level, and the cost of moving seven spots becomes more significant when measured against Clements plus the downstream value of the extra second-rounder.
The Bills turned one higher selection into a Pro Bowl cornerback, a productive starting running back and an additional linebacker. That is excellent draft-capital conversion. Tampa Bay solved an offensive-line need and got a multi-year starter, preventing a harsh grade, but Buffalo clearly created more total value. The trade is a strong example of why moving down can work when a team's evaluation board remains deep enough to land a comparable or superior player later in the round.