shelby
12-25-2008, 08:16 AM
In the final analysis of Buffalo's victory over Denver last Sunday, it was plainly evident that the Bills might not have won the game without the performances of several of their rookie draft picks.Wide receiver Steve Johnson caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, cornerback Reggie Corner broke up four passes including the last ball in the end zone that prevented a tying touchdown by Denver, and Leodis McKelvin played the full game at cornerback and was his usual productive self on kickoff returns.
After a painfully slow start, which is typically the case for any team's rookies, the Bills' 2008 newbies have started to come around toward the end of the season, and the good news is that they'll never be rookies again.
"It is early, but we like what we see," said coach Dick Jauron on Wednesday. "They're going to make rookie mistakes, but it'll help us as we move along."
It's always hard to gauge a draft class after just one season in the league, but here's a brief summation of what the Bills have gotten from their 2008 group.
McKelvin looks like a keeper, certainly as a kickoff returner, and most likely as a starting cornerback.
He ranks second in the league in yards per return at 28.7 behind only Chicago's Danieal Manning and is the key reason why the Bills lead the league in average starting position following a kickoff, the 32.6-yard line.
Last week in Denver he set the Bills' all-time single-season record for kickoff return yards, raising his total to 1,457 yards.
more... (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20081225/SPORTS03/812250317/1021)
After a painfully slow start, which is typically the case for any team's rookies, the Bills' 2008 newbies have started to come around toward the end of the season, and the good news is that they'll never be rookies again.
"It is early, but we like what we see," said coach Dick Jauron on Wednesday. "They're going to make rookie mistakes, but it'll help us as we move along."
It's always hard to gauge a draft class after just one season in the league, but here's a brief summation of what the Bills have gotten from their 2008 group.
McKelvin looks like a keeper, certainly as a kickoff returner, and most likely as a starting cornerback.
He ranks second in the league in yards per return at 28.7 behind only Chicago's Danieal Manning and is the key reason why the Bills lead the league in average starting position following a kickoff, the 32.6-yard line.
Last week in Denver he set the Bills' all-time single-season record for kickoff return yards, raising his total to 1,457 yards.
more... (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20081225/SPORTS03/812250317/1021)