Our weekly series on poor drafting gives us the Buffalo Bills this week. To everyone’s current surprise they only stand one game behind the Patriots for first place in the NFC East with a 3-3 record, but based on recent history most people expect that to come crashing down soon enough. If recent history is any indicator, the Bills haven’t had a winning season since 2004 and they haven’t been to the playoffs since 1999. Kyle Orton certainly doesn’t feel like the guy that will take them back. Even worse, you have to go back to 1995 for the last time they actually won a playoff game. This franchise has been stuck in consistent mediocrity hole for almost two decades now and there seems to be no solution for helping them crawl out. Poor drafting has been a major reason for this and it huts the most when you consider the few draft picks they’ve hit on that have become multiple Pro Bowlers are mostly identified with other teams (Donte Whitner, Marshawn Lynch). It stands to reason that ownership, front office and coaching is a bigger issue than the draft picks. That said, here are the five biggest busts in recent history:
Five draft picks why the Rams won’t make the playoffs
Five draft picks why the Raiders won’t make the playoffs
Five draft picks why the Jaguars won’t make the playoffs
5. E. J. Manuel, QB, Florida State – 16th pick overall in 2013
I hesitate to include Manuel on this list because he’s only in year two and the jury is still out on him. It’s not looking good so far, though. In year one he was plagued by injuries and only played in ten games. And now he’s been benched in favor of veteran Kyle Orton who’s been waffling back and forth with retirement like Brett Favre in the twilight of his career. When Manuel has played, his 58.6% career completions suggests accuracy is a major issue. Simply put he’s not ready and there’s just not enough positive influence and talent for him to develop and learn. This has all the recipes for a bust. The quarterbacks taken after Manuel were Geno Smith and Mike Glennon, though, so I’m not sure they would have fared much better at that position. Still, if the Bills could do it over I suspect they’d be happier with Eric Reid, Kyle Long, Desmond Trufant, Cordarrelle Patterson, Alec Ogletree and a slew of others.
4. Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy – 11th pick overall in 2008
McKelvin is a decent player, he’s just never lived up to his draft status. To his credit he’s still a starter on a good Bills defense. He’s had just 7 interceptions in 6 seasons and his ball skills are not his strength. Many are still puzzled in their attempts to understand what McKelvin did to deserve a second contract for 4 years and $20 million with the Bills. Most notable is that the Bills made McKelvin the first corner taken in the 2008 draft, he’s never been to the Pro Bowl, and the next three corners taken have all been (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Aqib Talib and Mike Jenkins). It could have been worse, but it could have been a lot better too.
3. J. P. Losman, QB, Tulane – 22nd pick overall in 2004
Losman posted a 10-23 record as a starter for the Bills. The Bills just didn’t really do their homework and taking this guy in the first round was a poor call. The next quarterback taken was Matt Schaub, which would have been a much better pick. That’s not to mention Pro Bowlers like Steven Jackson, Jason Babin, Chris Snee, Bob Sanders and many others that were taken just after Losman. Losman finished his career with a completion percentage under 60, a TD/INT ratio of 33 to 34 and a QB rating of 75.6. The Bills were slow to give up on him, too, suffering through his spotty play for five seasons.
2. Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State – 11th pick overall in 2009
He finished with just 6 sacks in his NFL career and last played in the CFL in 2013. He is now out of football just 5 years after being drafted. His sacks all came with the Jets, by the way, and he didn’t post a single one in two seasons with the Bills. This is as bad of a draft pick as there is. Two picks after that the Redskins took Brian Orakpo. Pretty much any player drafted after Maybin would’ve been a better call.
1. Mike Williams, T, Texas – 4th pick overall in 2002
When you have the 4th overall pick, you just can’t afford to blow it. Unfortunately in 2002 the Bills did in spectacular fashion. The Bills tried to move Williams to left tackle, then guard and even tried him out at defensive tackle a little bit. All were failed experiments and he was released in 2006. Williams is widely considered a top 15 draft bust in NFL history. Three picks later the Vikings draft a tackle in the name of Bryant McKinnie.
