- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 431,258
- Reaction score
- 44
So much of the focus on every NFL Draft centers on the first round, and for good reason. The players picked on the first night are the ones who have the most potential to go on and become stars in the NFL and some eventually end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But the work is far from done once the first round ends, and the best drafting teams are the ones who can find players in every round who have a chance to compete to become starters or key contributors.
The Bills have made several smart decisions in the second round and sometimes, those players have turned out to be better players than who preceded them in the first round.
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 2024 to a second contract.
2022 - RB James Cook: Became the full-time starter in 2023 and has gone on to become one of the most productive running backs in the NFL the last two years, tying for the league lead in rushing TDs in 2024 with 16.
2023 - OG O’Cyrus Torrence: He earned a starting job immediately as a rookie and has started every game since he arrived.
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
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills best round 2 picks in NFL draft history: 20 great player
Continue reading...
But the work is far from done once the first round ends, and the best drafting teams are the ones who can find players in every round who have a chance to compete to become starters or key contributors.
The Bills have made several smart decisions in the second round and sometimes, those players have turned out to be better players than who preceded them in the first round.
Buffalo Bills' best second round picks
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.
You must be registered for see images attach
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 2024 to a second contract.
2022 - RB James Cook: Became the full-time starter in 2023 and has gone on to become one of the most productive running backs in the NFL the last two years, tying for the league lead in rushing TDs in 2024 with 16.
2023 - OG O’Cyrus Torrence: He earned a starting job immediately as a rookie and has started every game since he arrived.
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
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills best round 2 picks in NFL draft history: 20 great player
Continue reading...
