Buffalo Bills draft history: The great picks, the finds and the busts

ORCHARD PARK - The NFL Draft is, and always has been, the most important tool that teams have at their disposal when it comes to building their rosters.

Each year, the teams that do it well - and I would consider the Buffalo Bills as one of those teams since the start of the Sean McDermott/Brandon Beane era began in 2017 - add young, talented, and relatively inexpensive pieces who go on to play critical roles.

The teams that do it poorly, well, you don’t want to be a fan of those teams and let’s be honest, the Bills haven’t always been draft savants.

It isn't always about the first round, or even the first two rounds. You can find as many gems in the later rounds as there are busts in the early rounds. Every pick matters, and the Bills have another opportunity this weekend to add players who can help them chase that elusive Super Bowl title.

Here are my thoughts on the history of the Bills’ draft, going all the way back to the very beginning 65 years ago.

The Lost Decade of the 1970s

During the 1970s, the Bills made history by losing 20 consecutive games to the Miami Dolphins, a futility record that may never be matched. One of the reasons for their struggles against Miami and so many other teams (51-91-2 record for the decade) was their horrible track record on draft day. Of the 12 players they selected in the first round of the 1970s drafts, seven were flat out busts.

1970 - DE Al Cowlings: Long before he became O.J. Simpson's wheelman, Cowlings was the fifth overall pick in the draft but gave the Bills three lackluster seasons.

1972 - DE Walt Patulski: The No. 1 overall choice, he bombed during four seasons in Buffalo.

1974 - TE Reuben Gant: Lasted seven years in Buffalo, but old stone hands dropped as many balls as he caught.

1975 - LB Tom Ruud: He held out almost his entire rookie training camp in a contract dispute and he never recovered. He was gone by 1977.

1977 - DE Phil Dokes: He simply couldn't play and he retired from football after just two seasons.

1978 - RB Terry Miller: Had a solid rookie year including one game where he rushed for 208 yards, but he went downhill from there and was out of Buffalo by 1980.

1979 - Tom Cousineau: The No. 1 overall choice never played a down for the Bills. He refused to sign a contract, went to the CFL for a few years and after the Bills traded his rights to Cleveland he signed with the Browns but never did much.

More First-round Flops

The collective failures of the group above would be more than enough to anger longtime Bills' fans, but unfortunately, they weren't the only washouts Buffalo's braintrust has selected in the first round through the years.

1981 - RB Booker Moore: Played four years for the Bills and rushed for a grand total of 420 yards.

1982 - WR Perry Tuttle: Caught just 24 passes in two years for Buffalo and was out of the NFL by 1985.

1983 - TE Tony Hunter: After two average years with the Bills he was traded to the Rams for QB Vince Ferragamo and played only two more years with L.A.

1984 - RB Greg Bell: The smooth operator's greatest contribution to Buffalo was being part of the blockbuster 1987 trade that brought Cornelius Bennett to town.

1986 - RB Ronnie Harmon: Ended up having a decent NFL career, but his time in Buffalo was very average and culminated with his dropped TD pass in the 1989 wild-card playoff game loss at Cleveland.

1990 - CB J.D. Williams: All the speed in the world, but he couldn't cover and he couldn't catch.

2000 - DE Erik Flowers: Was too light to play defensive line in the NFL and was sent packing after just two years.

2002 - OT/OG Mike Williams: The No. 4 overall pick never came close to living up to the draft status, especially since the Bills could have taken future perennial Pro Bowler Bryant McKinnie.

2009 - LB Aaron Maybin: Dick Jauron thought he was going to be a superstar off the edge. Instead, he wound up being one of the biggest busts in team history.

2013 - E.J. Manuel: The quarterback of the future wound up getting benched four weeks into his second season and he started only 17 games for the Bills.

First-round finds

It hasn't all been bad news for the Bills in the first round. These players went on to live up to their billing as No. 1 picks.

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 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, he 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 he certainly has more to come.

What might have been

From 1960-66, the AFL and NFL conducted separate drafts and when a team from each league drafted a particular player, bidding wars ensued to obtain that player's signature on a contract. Here are five notable Bills' choices who opted to sign with NFL teams rather than Buffalo.

1961 - QB Norm Snead (5th round): Signed with the Redskins and also played for the Eagles, Giants, Vikings and 49ers during a 17-year career.

1962 - RB Ernie Davis (1st): The 1961 Heisman Trophy winner from Syracuse was also selected in the first round by Cleveland, and while he signed with the Browns, he never played a down because he died of leukemia.

1964 - DE Carl Eller (1st): Signed with the Vikings and went on to play 16 years in Minnesota and he was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past January.

1964 - WR Paul Warfield (4th): Was Cleveland's first-round choice and signed with the Browns, later played for the Dolphins, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

1965 - WR Lance Rentzel (6th): Drafted by Minnesota and also played for the Cowboys and Rams during a productive 10-year career. He led the NFL in TD receptions in 1969 with 12.

Deuces are wild

While the Bills have had a checkered past in the first round of the NFL Draft, they have very often struck gold in the second round. Here is a sampling.

1961 - OG Billy Shaw: He became the greatest blocker in team history and earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

1963 - DT Jim Dunaway: Became a mainstay on the Bills' dominant defensive line of the 1960s when the team won back-to-back AFL championships.

1972 - OG Reggie McKenzie: He was O.J.'s main man, a terrific pulling guard who played 11 years for the Bills.

1976 - OT Joe Devlin: Was never a star, but he was a solid, come-to-work-every-day kind of guy who played 191 games for the Bills, fourth-most in team history.

1979 - NT Fred Smerlas: One of the most popular players in Bills history, he made five Pro Bowls in 11 years with the Bills.

1979 - LB Jim Haslett: Nineteen selections after Smerlas, the Bills took Haslett and before injuries cut his career short, he was one of Buffalo's finest linebackers.

1980 - RB Joe Cribbs: Although he played only four years with the Bills, he was a dynamic player who helped lead the Bills to two playoff appearances.

1983 - LB Darryl Talley: The consummate professional and one of the leaders of the Bills' Super Bowl teams in the 1990s.

1987 - CB Nate Odomes: He was one of the Bills' best cover corners for seven years and he ranks fifth all-time in interceptions with 26.

1988 - RB Thurman Thomas: Should have been a first-rounder, but lasted until the 40th pick and the Bills reaped the reward for 12 years as he became their all-time leading rusher.

1991 - Phil Hansen: In the Talley mold, a guy who was often underrated but always gave it 100 percent and carved out a very productive 11-year career.

1998 - LB Sam Cowart: Before he got hurt, he was fast becoming one of the best linebackers in the game. Since leaving after 2001, he has struggled with the Jets.

1999 - WR Peerless Price: He played six years in Buffalo and caught 288 passes for 3,772 yards and 25 TDs.

2001 - DE Aaron Schobel: One of the most underrated players in the NFL during his nine-year career. He made 78 sacks which is second in team history.

2003 - DE Chris Kelsay: A steady, unspectacular player who was one of the best players in the drought era.

2009 - S Jairus Byrd: In just five years with Buffalo he made 22 interceptions, forced 11 fumbles and recovered five.

2012 - OT Cordy Glenn: He was a solid six-year starter who was later traded to the Bengals in a deal that helped the Bills position themselves to draft Josh Allen.

2020 - DE A.J. Epenesa: Has steadily improved each year he’s been here and the Bills re-signed him in the offseason to a second contract.

2022 - RB James Cook: Became the full-time back last season and had finished sixth in the NFL in yards gained from scrimmage.

2023 - OG O’Cyrus Torrence: Started every game at right guard as a rookie and should only get better.

Doing their homework

It is a personnel department's greatest thrill when it finds players in the later rounds of the draft who go on to enjoy productive careers, even star careers, and the Bills have come up with a bunch in their history.

1961 - C Al Bemiller (7th): The former Syracuse star played nine years in Buffalo and started 125 straight games.

1962 - LB Mike Stratton (13th): His 11-year Buffalo career was rewarded with a place on the Bills' Wall of Fame.

1962 - DE Tom Sestak (17th): Like Stratton, he wound up on the Bills' Wall of Fame and was the team's greatest defensive linemen until Bruce Smith came along.

1964 - K Pete Gogolak (12th): He only played two years in Buffalo, but he revolutionized the game with his soccer-style kicking motion.

1971 - WR Bobby Chandler (7th): His lack of speed knocked him down the draft board, but what a pair of hands he had.

1975 - RB Roland Hooks (10th): For seven years in Buffalo he was the ultimate utility man, a back who could run and catch, start or come off the bench.

1977 - CB Charlie Romes (12th): In 10 years he made 28 interceptions, fourth-best in team history.

1981 - RB Robb Riddick (10th): He ultimately replaced Hooks on the roster, and was the same type of reliable utility player.

1985 - WR Andre Reed (4th): He hailed from tiny Kutztown (Pa.) State and no one knew who he was, but now he's the Bills' all-time leading receiver.

1986 - DE Mark Pike (7th): Steve Tasker got all the glory and trips to the Pro Bowl, but Pike is Buffalo's all-time leading special teams tackler.

1987 - OT Howard Ballard (11th): The House was part of a very good offensive line that helped the Bills dominate the AFC in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

1988 - NT Jeff Wright (8th): Took Fred Smerlas' place in the middle and though he was undersized, he made a lot of plays.

1996 - TE Jay Riemersma (7th): He was a longshot to make the team, but the only Bills tight end who caught more passes was Pete Metzelaars.

2003 - CB/KR Terrence McGee (4th): Became a reliable starter while also becoming the team’s all-time leading kickoff returner with 5,450 yards and five TDs.

2006 - DT Kyle Williams (5th): One of the great mid-draft finds, he went on to play 13 seasons and had 609 tackles and 48.5 sacks.

2008 - WR Stevie Johnson (7th): No one thought anything about him after two years, but then he found his niche and became the first Bill to record three straight 1,000-yard seasons.

2017 - LB Matt Milano (5th): An undersized player who, when he’s not hurt, has been one of the best LBs in the NFL.

2018 - CB Taron Johnson (4th): Has established himself as one of the best nickel corners in the NFL during his first six years.

2020 - WR Gabe Davis (4th): Inconsistency and injuries hurt him, but he caught 163 passes for 2,730 yards and 27 TDs in four years.

2020 - K Tyler Bass (6th): The end of 2023 didn’t go well, but he has already proven to be one of the best kickers in team history.

2022 - WR Khalil Shakir (5th): It’s looking like he could be a nice find and is set up for a bigger role in the 2024 offense.

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which comes out every other Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills draft history: The great picks, the finds and the busts