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Buffalo Bills
If you exclude picking DE Erik Flowers and OT Mike Williams, which were awful draft choices, this group isn't too shabby. The problem is that CB Nate Clements and RB Willis McGahee are playing elsewhere, which means the Bills are receiving zero production from their first-round picks drafted before 2004.
If you exclude picking DE Erik Flowers and OT Mike Williams, which were awful draft choices, this group isn't too shabby. The problem is that CB Nate Clements and RB Willis McGahee are playing elsewhere, which means the Bills are receiving zero production from their first-round picks drafted before 2004.
| Year | Player | Pick | Verdict | Bottom Line |
| 2007 | Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal | 12 |  | Labeled as not very physical coming out of Cal, Lynch shed that handle really quick. He seemed to run over a defender on the majority of his touchdowns. He is going to make plays for many years. |
| 2005 | Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State | 8 | | Playing in Buffalo, Whitner isn't as well-known as some of the other top safeties in the league, but he is a headhunter with exceptional range. He is especially tough against the run and is getting better. |
| 2006 | John McCargo, DT, NC State | 26 |  | McCargo is not particularly stout and should really benefit from the Bills' acquisition of Marcus Stroud. McCargo has taken time to progress, but this season will tell the tale. |
| 2004 | Lee Evans, WR, Wisconsin | 13 |  | Evans has been a starter all four of his years in Buffalo and is the Bills' go-to receiver. While he is a bit undersized, he plays with great speed, quickness, agility and tempo. |
| 2004 | J.P. Losman, QB, Tulane | 22 | | Losman became a starter in his second year in Buffalo, but lost the job in his third year. He has been extremely inconsistent when it comes to reading coverages and avoiding interceptions. |
| 2003 | Willis McGahee, RB, Miami | 23 | | The Bills took a chance when they drafted McGahee, who was coming off ACL surgery, but he's been consistent and durable with two clubs, despite the lack of complementary weapons around him. |
| 2002 | Mike Williams, OT, Texas | 4 | | Williams was a can't-miss player who missed. He was projected to be the top offensive lineman in the '02 NFL draft, but that all changed based on his weight and lack of production on the field. |
| 2001 | Nate Clements, CB, Ohio St. | 21 | | Clements' career got off to a great start in Buffalo before he signed a monster deal to play in San Francisco. While he didn't make the impact that the 49ers envisioned, Clements can play. |
| 2000 | Erik Flowers, DE, Arizona St. | 26 | | Flowers was a DE/OLB tweener who could never grasp the concept of playing up as an OLB in a 3-4 defense, but lacked the size or bulk of an every-down DE. |
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