Buffalo Bills: Best and worst draft picks

[MidnightVoice]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000158105/article/buffalo-bills-best-and-worst-draft-picks

Jim is the best. And a collection of more recent picks are the worthless ones :(

[THRILLHO]

Funny how 4 of the 5 "top" picks were within 5 years of each other and 4 of the "worst" picks were also with in 7 years of each other.

[fluteflakes]

God, Big Mike Williams, how awful he was. An era we seem stuck in is the one I think all of us want to get past and forget.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

God, Big Mike Williams, how awful he was. An era we seem stuck in is the one I think all of us want to get past and forget.

I wouldn't call Mike Williams a bad draft pick. He was a bust, but drafting him was not the wrong choice at the time. He was the blue chip pick and because he showed up in Buffalo with an attitude that he didn't need to work and perfect his game he was a colossal waste of roster space.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

The other four turds on that list I completely agree with.

[TacklingDummy]

Im not sure we can consider Maybin one of the Bills biggest busts.
Most of us knew from the start that he was going to suck.

[Historian]

This is what passes for journalism.

Kelly wasted two years in the USFL, and then wanted to be traded to the Raiders. He's way down on my list.

1. Bruce Smith. Perhaps the greatest Bill ever.
2. Joe Devlin. Anchored the O line for 14 years.
3. Billy Shaw. Only HOFer that played every year in AFL. Dominated everyone.
4. OJ. Dominated in the era of the 14 game schedule.
5. Tom Sestak. 17th round TE that dominated the AFL as a DT.
6. Fred Smerlas. Pro Bowler on 2-14 teams.
7. Thomas.
8. Reed.
9. Kelly.
10. Jerry Butler. Speed to burn.

My biggest draft bust is Gary Anderson...who although he couldnot beat out Mkie-Mayer in the 1982 camp, went on to solidify Pittsburgh's kicking game for almost two decades.

The rest of the busts are way too frequent to even list....Tuttle...Dokes...the list goes on and on.

[Strongman]

I'm surprised Erik Flowers isn't listed as a bust.

[Historian]

We could do a whole forum just on Bills draft busts, lol.

[The King]

Has a WR ever been as bad as Hardy? Charles Rodgers is the only one who comes to mind.

[Mr. Pink]

Has a WR ever been as bad as Hardy? Charles Rodgers is the only one who comes to mind.

Yes. Bucky Brooks.

[gebobs]

My biggest draft bust is Gary Anderson...who although he couldnot beat out Mkie-Mayer in the 1982 camp, went on to solidify Pittsburgh's kicking game for almost two decades.

Isn't it fairly certain he flubbed on purpose?

[Mr. Pink]

Isn't it fairly certain he flubbed on purpose?

To go to Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh back then wasn't very good either as they went from Bradshaw to Bubby Brister/Mark Malone.

[stuckincincy]

Isn't it fairly certain he flubbed on purpose?

That was my impression...

[gebobs]

We could do a whole forum just on Bills draft busts, lol.

1st and 2nd rounders (some may have already been mentioned)...

'66: Mike Dennis, Jim Lindsey
'70: Dennis Shaw
'71: Jan White
'72: Walt Patulski
'74: Reuben Gant
'77: Phil Dokes
'79: Terry Miller
'81: Booker Moore, Chris Williams
'82: Perry Tuttle, Matt Kofler
'83: Tony Hunter
'84: Greg Bell
'90: James Williams
'92: James Patton
'94: Bucky Brooks
'95: Todd Collins
'96: Gabe Northern
'97: Antowain Smith
'00: Erik Flowers, Travares Tillman
'02: Josh Reed
'04: Loserman
'06: John McCargo

Some of these guys, like Greg Bell, had decent careers, but not at the position they were drafted. And not all are "busts", like Josh Reed, but were drafted too high.

I hope we never draft another player from ND. Lamonica was the only one that ever did good and Wilson gave him away.

[Historian]

Has a WR ever been as bad as Hardy? Charles Rodgers is the only one who comes to mind.

Perry Tuttle and Eric Richardson.

[Historian]

Isn't it fairly certain he flubbed on purpose?

No.

He and Knox did not care for each other, but intentionally miss kicks?

I doubt it.

[gebobs]

No.

He and Knox did not care for each other, but intentionally miss kicks?

I doubt it.
He did grow up in PA. He was given a tryout with the Eagles and Dick Vermeil when he was in high school though Vermeil had moved on to the Cards by the time Anderson was drafted.

I don't know. I don't remember what happened way back when and am not even sure if he was given any chances in preseason. I suppose it was just rumor and sour grapes.

[trapezeus]

This is what passes for journalism.

Kelly wasted two years in the USFL, and then wanted to be traded to the Raiders. He's way down on my list.

1. Bruce Smith. Perhaps the greatest Bill ever.
2. Joe Devlin. Anchored the O line for 14 years.
3. Billy Shaw. Only HOFer that played every year in AFL. Dominated everyone.
4. OJ. Dominated in the era of the 14 game schedule.
5. Tom Sestak. 17th round TE that dominated the AFL as a DT.
6. Fred Smerlas. Pro Bowler on 2-14 teams.
7. Thomas.
8. Reed.
9. Kelly.
10. Jerry Butler. Speed to burn.

My biggest draft bust is Gary Anderson...who although he couldnot beat out Mkie-Mayer in the 1982 camp, went on to solidify Pittsburgh's kicking game for almost two decades.

The rest of the busts are way too frequent to even list....Tuttle...Dokes...the list goes on and on.

When i was 12 years old, i was on the Jim Kelly show on channel 7. i got to ask jim a question. "why did you choose to go to houston instead of come to us." Remember i was 12 and pretty undersized. i don't think Jim really thought i'd ask something like that. but his answer was pretty cool. He came off pretty sincere. He said that obviously money was abig factor and that when you are young people put thoughts in your head. and rationally or irrattionally some of those stick with you. When he was getting close to sign with the gamblers, his people told him, 'you don't want to play on a cold weather team, it'll take years off your career" he said that when the USFL folded that thought still had stuck with him and he wasn't really interested in buffalo. but now that he's here he wouldnt want it any other way.

i thought he answered it pretty honestly and classy. i forgave him.

[OpIv37]

I think the scary part is that the most recent "Best" draft pick came in 1988.

[OpIv37]

And I'm not going to bother debating the worst picks because there have been so many. I think most fans would agree that Mike Williams and Maybin are clearly 1-2 but after that there are a LOT of options to fill out the top 5 or 10.

[gebobs]

I think most fans would agree that Mike Williams and Maybin are clearly 1-2
Most fans under 40 you mean. :-)

[Mski]

im not sure i would agree with the hate on the Mike Williams pick... the guy was highly regarded as the best OL in the draft, was a true blue chip athlete... i think there's some difference between a bad pick and a pick thats a bust (maybin)

[fluteflakes]

I wouldn't call Mike Williams a bad draft pick. He was a bust, but drafting him was not the wrong choice at the time. He was the blue chip pick and because he showed up in Buffalo with an attitude that he didn't need to work and perfect his game he was a colossal waste of roster space.

To clarify, I wasn't calling him a bad pick at the time, at the time he was considered one of the better tackle prospects in years. It was a no brainer pick at the time.

I was calling Mike Williams HIMSELF awful, which I think we all can agree he was. Which is a shame, he had all world potential. He was just a lazy selfish son of a *****.

[mjt328]

Best pick, I would probably vote Bruce Smith. Being the #1 overall, he certainly wasn't a steal. But he's probably the best player the Bills have ever had.
What other Bills player would even get consideration for the BEST at his position in NFL history? Maybe OJ at running back...


Worst pick, I would go with Mike Williams. He was a "can't miss" prospect at a position that we absolutely HAD to get right. He was taken over Bryant McKinnie, who became a Pro Bowler.
We actually had a playoff-caliber team when Williams was taken. If Williams becomes a stud on the left side, maybe we don't see the rapid decline of Drew Bledsoe. Maybe we don't draft JP Losman at all.
Without those failures on his resume, maybe we don't fire Donahoe and replace him with Marv Levy - leading to other major busts like McCargo, Maybin, Hardy, etc.

[stuckincincy]

I'll keep my eye on reports about Maybin with CIN, and report back. :handball:

[sudzy]

My thought on best are; I could have been GM and drafted Bruce and OJ. They were no brainers. Now, Andre Reed, out of Kutztown University? That was a great draft choice. Worst in my book has to be Maybin. Because of all the talent still available. Orakpo, Matthews, Cushing, Oher. All names mocked to the Bills before hand and still on the board. How could you mess that up?