BLEAV in Bills: The NFL Draft is a week away and Buffalo’s needs are clear
Sal Maiorana and Adam Benigni are joined by NFL draft analyst Joe DeLeone to preview some of the players who would fit the Bills.
The odds of nailing the first-round pick in the NFL Draft shrink a little bit for teams like the Buffalo Bills who have lived in the high-20s and low 30s for the past several years due to their success.
For the five-time defending AFC champions, it’s more about the quantity across the entirety of a draft as opposed to finding the one team-altering player that can be found in the top 10.
Obviously, the Bills weren’t always this good and there have been many years where they were picking higher in the first round than they would have preferred, and like most teams, they made obvious picks that turned out great. Here are a bunch of them.
1969 – RB O.J. Simpson: Was the No. 1 overall selection and after a slow start under coach John Rauch, the Juice found his groove when Lou Saban took over as coach and went on to a Hall of Fame career.
1973 – OG Joe DeLamielleure: He became a starter as a rookie and was the Bills’ best blocker for the next seven years. He was part of the Electric Company, the offensive line that blocked for Simpson.
1980 – OG Jim Ritcher: Was a center in college but switched to guard and went on to play 203 games for the Bills, third-most in team history.
1983 – QB Jim Kelly: The second of Buffalo’s two first-round picks that year, he opted for the USFL and didn’t arrive in Buffalo until 1986. Despite his late start he became the all-time Bills’ quarterback, leading the team to six AFC East titles and four AFC championships before being enshrined at Canton.
1985 – DE Bruce Smith: Played 15 years in Buffalo and was an 11-time Pro Bowl performer. The greatest defensive lineman in team history is now the NFL’s all-time sack leader and a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection.
1986 – OT Will Wolford: Was a bookend tackle for seven years before leaving via free agency and helped the team reach three Super Bowls.
1987 – LB Shane Conlan: Raised just south of Buffalo in Frewsburg, the Penn State star came home and made good, playing six excellent seasons for the Bills before departing via free agency.
1991 – SS Henry Jones: Was a productive player for 10 years, a regular starter his last nine in Buffalo.
1995 – OG Ruben Brown: His nine-year stay in Buffalo produced eight trips to the Pro Bowl.
1996 – WR Eric Moulds: It took two years for Moulds to make an impact, but once he did he became one of the best receivers in the NFL.
1999 – CB Antoine Winfield: Pound for pound was one of the best cover corners in the NFL who later went on to star with the Vikings, too.
2001 – CB Nate Clements: Became a starter as a rookie and ultimately made 23 interceptions in 96 games for the Bills.
2004 – WR Lee Evans: Gave the Bills a legit deep threat who caught 377 passes for 5,934 yards and 43 TDs.
2012 – CB Stephon Gilmore: For some reason fans never warmed up to him, but he was always a terrific cover corner and he has enjoyed a lengthy NFL career with 31 interceptions.
2017 – CB Tre’Davious White: The first pick made by Sean McDermott, White became an All-Pro player before injuries ended his time with the Bills in 2023.
2018 – QB Josh Allen: The player who turned the franchise around, and when his career over, the 2024 NFL MVP will likely hold every Bills QB record.
2019 – DT Ed Oliver: At No. 9 overall, he probably hasn’t lived up to that status, but he has been a consistent producer who is now on his second contract.
2023 – TE Dalton Kincaid: As a rookie he set the team record for most catches (73) and yards (673) by a tight end, and after an injury-plagued 2024, he still has a chance to become a success story.
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, he has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at [email protected], and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social. Sign up for his Bills Blast newsletter here: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
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