All-time best Buffalo Bills players: The list from 50-26
Buffalo Bills beat writer Sal Maiorana created his first list of the team's top 100 all-time best players in 2019. In the seasons since, several players have done enough to crack the list.
So, it is time for a refresh.
We have broken down his rankings in 25-player increments.
His top 100 continues with players ranked from No. 50 down to No. 26, and in this group you start to see some of the truly elite players.
This is the section where the most Sean McDermott-era players cracked the list including Micah Hyde, Dion Dawkins, Jordan Poyer, Matt Milano and Tre'Davious White.
50. Mario Williams
Position: DE. Years: 2012-15
Achievements: Two-time Pro Bowl selection. … Played only four seasons in Buffalo but ranks seventh in sacks with 43.0. … Had double digit sacks his first three seasons, including 14.5 in 2014, fourth-best in team history. … Was in on 145 tackles and nine pass breakups, five forced fumbles and two recoveries.
49. Elbert Dubenion
Position: WR. Years: 1960-68
Achievements: Wall of Fame inductee in 1993. … AFL all-star in 1964. … Led the AFL in 1964 with a 27.1-yard average per reception. … Ranks fourth in team history in receiving yards (5,294), 10th in receptions with 294, third in yards per catch (17.94) and third in 100-yard games (16).
48. Micah Hyde
Position: FS. Years: 2017-23
Achievements: Came to the Bills along with Jordan Poyer in Sean McDermott’s first season as coach and formed arguably the NFL’s best safety combination for at least a few years. … Twice was a second-team All-Pro. … Made 2017 Pro Bowl. … Started all 95 games he played for Bills and made 16 interceptions, 417 tackles, three forced fumbles and three recoveries.
Micah Hyde: Safety may retire as one of most important Bills ever
47. Booker Edgerson
Position: CB. Years: 1962-69
Achievements: Wall of Fame inductee in 2010. … AFL all-star in 1965. … Ranks tied for seventh in team history with 23 interceptions, but his 18.3 yards per return is second-best. … Recovered four fumbles and forced one.
46. Fred Jackson
Position: RB. Years: 2007-14
Achievements: One of the great undrafted free agent stories in team history. … Ranks third in Bills history in rushing yards (5,646), attempts (1,279), and 100-yard games (15) and his 30 rushing TDs are fifth-most. … His 322 catches for 2,640 yards are both second-most among RBs behind only Thurman Thomas. … Ranks fifth in team history with 8,286 yards from scrimmage and his 78.2-yard per game average is third-best behind only O.J. Simpson and Thomas.
45. Jerry Hughes
Position: DE. Years: 2013-19
Achievements: Part of one of the best Bills trades in history as he came from Colts in exchange for LB Kelvin Sheppard. … Played nine years in Buffalo before moving on to the Texans in 2022. … His 53 sacks rank fourth in team history. … Also made 350 tackles, one interception, 16 forced fumbles and five recoveries, two of which he returned for TDs.
44. Lee Evans
Position: WR. Years: 2004-11
Achievements: Ranks fifth in Bills history in receptions (377) and third in receiving yards (5,934) and TDs (43). … Holds single-game record with 265 receiving yards against Houston in 2006.
43. Ted Washington
Position: DT. Years: 1995-2000
Achievements: Originally a first-round pick of the 49ers in 1991, came to the Bills in 1995 and anchored the middle of the defense for six years. … Was a three-time Pro Bowl selection for Bills and made another playing for the Bears. … Made 19.5 sacks, 378 tackles, three forced fumbles and one recovery in 96 games for Bills.
42. Stew Barber
Position: OT. Years: 1961-69
Achievements: Five-time AFL all-star. … Began his career as a rookie linebacker, then switched to left tackle in 1962 and remained there until retirement. … Missed only one game in his career, that in 1969, the year he retired. … Became a Bills scout, and later served as assistant GM starting in 1976, and GM from 1979-82.
41. Antoine Winfield
Position: CB. Years: 1999-2003
Achievements: First-round pick, No. 23 overall, in 1999. … Pound for pound was one of the toughest players in the NFL. … Made six interceptions in five seasons with the Bills. … Had career-high 109 tackles in 2003, then bolted to Vikings in free agency where he went on to play nine years and make three Pro Bowls and was a second-team All-Pro in 2008. … Finished career with 27 interceptions.
40. Steve Christie
Position: K. Years: 1992-2000
Achievements: Member of the 26-man Bills’ 50th anniversary team which was chosen in 2009 to commemorate the franchise’s 50th anniversary. … Leads the team in career scoring with 1,011 points. … All-time leader with 234 field goals and 309 extra points. … His 140 points in 1998 were a team record until Tyler Bass broke it in 2020 … His six field goals in one game in 1996 is tied for the team mark with Bass who has two such games. … Holds record for longest field goal at 59 yards. … Held Super Bowl-record of 54 yards until it was just broken in Super Bowl 58 by both Jake Moody (49ers) and Harrison Butker (Chiefs). … Has two of the top five marks for field goals in a season with 33 in 1998 and 31 in 1995.
39. Dion Dawkins
Position: OT. Years: 2017-23
Achievements: Moved into the starting lineup early in his rookie year and has never been surpassed. … Has started 106 of his 112 career games. … Has been selected to the last three Pro Bowls in 2021, 2022, and 2023. … Is credited with five fumble recoveries.
38. Butch Byrd
Position: CB. Years: 1964-70
Achievements: Member of Bills’ 50th anniversary team. … Five-time AFL all-star. … Bills all-time leader in interceptions with 40 and interception return yards with 666. … His five interception TDs are tied for the most with Nate Clements and Tom Janik. … Ranks seventh in punt return yards with 600 and that does not include his 74-yard TD in the 1965 AFL Championship Game victory over the Chargers.
37. Jerry Butler
Position: WR. Years: 1979-86
Achievements: Pro Bowl selection in 1980. … Career was hampered by knee injuries and thus he played only parts of seven seasons (88 games). … Ranks 13th in Bills history with 288 receptions while his 4,301 yards are eighth. … In 1979, his 255 yards receiving against the Jets was a team record that stood until 2006. … His four TDs in that game is still tied for the team mark.
36. Reggie McKenzie
Position: OG. Years: 1972-82
Achievements: O.J. Simpson called him his “main man” though he never made a Pro Bowl. … Was one of the NFL’s best pulling guards. … Played 147 games in 11 seasons for the Bills which ranks fifth all-time among offensive linemen. … Did not miss a start until 1981, his 10th year with Buffalo.
35. Mike Stratton
Position: LB. Years: 1962-72
Achievements: Wall of Fame inductee in 1994. … Member of Bills’ 50th anniversary team. … Six-time AFL all-star. … Three-time first-team AFL All-Pro. … Played 142 games for the Bills. … His 18 interceptions are tied for 15th with Henry Jones and Tre’Davious White. … Made one of the most famous plays in Bills history, his tackle of Chargers’ Keith Lincoln in 1964 AFL Championship Game.
34. George Saimes
Position: SS. Years: 1963-69
Achievements: Wall of Fame inductee in 2000. … Member of Bills’ 50th anniversary team. … Member of the all-time AFL defensive team. …. Five-time AFL all-star and was a three-time first-team AFL All-Pro. … His 22 interceptions are tied for 10th in team history.
33. Shane Conlan
Position: LB. Years: 1987-92
Achievements: Was the eighth overall pick of the 1987 draft. … Three-time Pro Bowl selection. … Member of Bills’ 50th anniversary team. … Made 545 tackles in just 80 games for the Bills. … Also had three interceptions, four forced fumbles and three recoveries.
32. Will Wolford
Position: OT. Years: 1986-92
Achievements: Two-time Pro Bowl selection. … Started all 102 games he played for the Bills and played on the first three Super Bowl teams. … Member of the NFL’s 1986 all-rookie team.
31. Jordan Poyer
Position: SS. Years: 2017-23
Achievements: Joined Bills as a free agent in 2017, one of the first players Sean McDermott signed. … First-team All-Pro in 2021 and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2022. … Is tied for 10th in team history with 22 interceptions. … His 682 tackles are fifth-most. … Has eight forced fumbles and six recoveries.
30. LeSean McCoy
Position: RB. Years: 2015-19
Achievements: Made Pro Bowl his first three years in Buffalo, giving him six altogether in career. … In just four seasons he rushed for 3,814 yards which ranks sixth all-time. … His 25 rushing TDs are tied for ninth. … His 15 games of at least 100 yards rushing are tied for third.
29. Matt Milano
Position: LB. Years: 2017-23
Achievements: Fifth-round pick who has become one of the key pieces to the Bills’ defense, though injuries have forced him to miss 23 of a potential 113 games. … First-team All-Pro in 2022 which was also his only year as a Pro Bowler. … Made 101 tackles in 2019 and has 488 for his career. … Also has 10 interceptions, 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and nine recoveries.
28. Jack Kemp
Position: QB. Years: 1962-69
Achievements: Wall of Fame inductee in 1984. … Six-time AFL All-Star. … 1965 AFL player of the year. … Quarterbacked the Bills to back-to-back AFL championships in 1964 and 1965. … Ranks fourth in team history with 15,134 passing yards and fifth with 77 TD passes. … Originally a 17th-round draft pick of the NFL’s Lions, he never caught on with the Lions, Steelers, Giants or 49ers and his career only took off when he joined the AFL’s Chargers in 1960. … Came to Bills thanks to a waiver transaction that was mishandled by Chargers coach Sid Gillman which allowed the Bills to claim him in 1962. … Went on to a long political career after retirement.
27. Nate Odomes
Position: CB. Years: 1987-93
Achievements: Member of Bills’ 50th anniversary team. … Two-time Pro Bowl selection. … Twice led the Bills interceptions and his 26 career picks rank fifth in Bills history. … His nine picks in 1993 tied for the second-highest single-season total in team history. … Also forced nine fumbles and made one recovery. … His overtime interception in the historic 1992 wild-card comeback victory over the Oilers set up Steve Christie’s game-winning field goal.
26. Tre’Davious White
Position: CB. Years: 2017-23
Achievements: The first draft pick of the Sean McDermott era in 2017. … Was first-team All-Pro in 2019, second-team in 2020. … Has been to two Pro Bowls. … Finished second in defensive rookie of the year vote in 2017. … Was fifth in defensive player of the year vote in 2019. … Has 18 interceptions, five forced fumbles and five recoveries.
The best Buffalo Bills players in history: The rest of the list
Players from 100-76 | 75-51 | 25-1 | How Sal Maiorana created the ranking
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 each Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: All-time best Buffalo Bills players: The list from 50-26
