Implications for the Browns Caused by Stefon Diggs Trade

The wide receiver Stefon Diggs trade between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans has the potential to tip the AFC power structure in favour of the Texans, which could have an effect on the Browns’ quest to make a postseason comeback. The Browns may be affected by the possible shift in the Bills’ approach to the draft.

The Texans could be even better in 2025 after C.J. Stroud had an incredible rookie campaign in which he defeated the Browns to win his first playoff game. Diggs joins a group of receivers that already included Nico Collins and Tank Dell, the latter of whom had a strong rookie campaign, in addition to Danielle Hunter, a top edge rusher. The Texans have a lot of firepower thanks to Joe Mixon’s acquisition and the re-signed tight end Dalton Schultz.

The Texans are the clear favourite to win the AFC South, so even though the Browns do not play them during the regular season, they might play them again in the postseason. Though this move merely serves as another reminder of how much better they will need to be in order to succeed in the playoffs, the Browns are feeling pretty good about their current situation.

A defence that looked terrible in the wildcard round faces even more pressure. They played so badly in that game that there’s no shortage of people to lay blame on, but this just makes things more intense. It also emphasises how crucial it is to have a pool of talented defensive backs, particularly corners.

For that game, the Browns would have preferred to have Grant Delpit at safety. All of the Browns’ corners were healthy, though. They must give them more. This draws attention to Greg Newsome, who was among several players who stood out in that game for the wrong reasons in addition to being the subject of trade rumours.

Jim Schwartz, the defence of the Browns must change and adapt better strategies to counter the Texans’ use of misdirection and mobility to throw them off guard. They must be able to cover for a sufficient amount of time to make Stroud hold onto the ball longer. In the meantime, the pass rush needs to outperform its performance from that game. Quinton Jefferson has joined the Browns, but the team will essentially remain the same this season.

The Bills’ roster still needs a lot of work, though. Rising costs forced them to let go of some of their veterans, and now they have to fill yet another void with this trade.

Along with Khalil Shakir and recently signed Curtis Samuel, the Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver group also features a number of role players and players who hope to make an NFL roster. The expectation was that the Bills would prioritise wide receivers in the draft, with many projecting them to be selected with the 28th overall pick, even before the decision to trade Diggs was made.

The Bills still only have one pick in that round—60th overall, while the Browns pick 54th—because they acquired the Texans’ second-round pick in 2025 as part of the trade. The Bills could select a different weapon in the second round, maybe adding two receivers, if they choose to be more aggressive.

The Browns might end up passing on a player they truly love due to the domino effect of receivers going off the board, but it’s also possible they’ll choose a player they don’t want. Alternatively, it might allow them to drop to the Browns if they are aiming for players at other positions.

Furthermore, the Browns might be a team willing to take the Bills’ call if they want to advance, dropping just a few spots while gaining more draft picks. They might still be in the running for a pick and end up with an additional pick instead of one of their primary targets. That’s a tempting option for a team that currently only has five picks.

In C.J. Stroud’s rookie season, the Texans were an underdog team that accomplished far more than was anticipated. They’ll be held to high standards, and it will be fascinating to see if they meet them. It should give the Browns even more incentive. If they want to be considered a serious contender for the Super Bowl, they need to be a much better team in order to defeat teams like the Texans in the postseason.