2006
Round 1, Pick 8 – Donte Whitner – Ohio State – Safety
Round 1, Pick 26 – John McCargo – North Carolina State – Defensive Tackle
Round 3, Pick 70 – Ashton Youboty – Ohio State – Cornerback
Round 4, Pick 105 – Ko Simpson – South Carolina – Safety
Round 5, Pick 134 – Kyle Williams – LSU – Defensive Tackle
Round 5, Pick 143 – Brad Butler – Virginia – Offensive Tackle/Guard
Round 6, Pick 178 – Keith Ellison – Oregon State – Linebacker
Round 7, Pick 216 – Terrence Pennington – New Mexico – Offensive Tackle/Guard
Round 7, Pick 248 – Aaron Merz – California – Offensive Guard
Overall: Donte Whitner was considered a bit of a reach when was drafted with the 8th overall pick, mostly due to hiss limited ball skills. However Whitner has been a solid contributor in the Bills secondary for the last five years. While he isn’t a ball hawk, he has proven to be a solid enforcer and a physical presence in defending the running game. He has missed some games due to injury, but for the most part he has been a good pick. However the second of their first round picks, John McCargo, never panned out after breaking his foot during his rookie year. He has been the biggest bust from this group. Ashton Youboty has experienced some injury problems over the course of his career, but has found a niche as a nickel and dime corner. Ko Simpson proved to be a quality starter in his rookie season but his career quickly went downhill after that. While he showed the kind of range that one would need to be a quality free safety, injuries and an inability to play assignment sound football led to him quickly being overwhelmed by opposing receivers. He was cut after the 2008 season and spent 2009 with the Lions, getting some starts but not making an impact. He was out of football last year. Kyle Williams was the surprise of this draft and has become one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL right now. While undersized, Williams plays with a ton of strength and excellent technique and tenacity. He became a Pro Bowl alternate after having a breakout year this past season. Brad Butler spent his rookie year developing. The next two years though, he spent starting at right guard and right tackle, playing well at both positions. However, an injury in 2009 led to him missing most of the season, after which he retired to focus on a political career. Keith Ellison was brought in to help the special teams, but wasn’t expected to contribute in the regular defense because he is undersized. However the Bills have had a hard time keeping Ellison off the field and opposing offenses have had a hard time keeping him from being productive. He is undersized and that has led to him having some injury problems the past two years, but for the most part, he has been a quality player. Terrance Pennington and Aaron Merz both made some contributions during their rookie season, but both were cut the following year and are out of the league now. On the whole, if this class was graded just after 2008 it would’ve been given a solid grade of B+. However, after the past two years with the fall of Ko Simpson, the retirement of Brad Butler and the injuries to Keith Ellison, the grade has suffered and the Bills are looking for replacements for a lot of these players because the best ones will be moving on in free agency.
Final Grade: C
2007
Round 1, Pick 12 – Marshawn Lynch – California – Runningback
Round 2, Pick 34 – Paul Posluszny – Penn State – Linebacker
Round 3, Pick 92 – Trent Edwards – Stanford – Quarterback
Round 4, Pick 111 – Dwayne Wright – Fresno State – Runningback
Round 6, Pick 184 – John Wendling – Wyoming – Safety
Round 7, Pick 222 – Derek Schouman – Boise State – Tight End/Fullback
Round 7, Pick 239 – C.J. Ah You – Oklahoma – Defensive End/Tackle
Overall: Marshawn Lynch came in as a hard charging runner with great explosiveness and enough speed to break long runs. In his first two years he certainly played like that, rushing for over one thousand yards both years and looking like the kind of runner that would be around for years to come. However, off the field issues forced him to miss the first few games of the 2009 season and he never seemed to recover from that lost time. While he still ran hard (more willfully than any runner in the NFL right now in my opinion), he couldn’t break away from the pile and had fewer and fewer big plays. He was traded to Seattle mid-way through the 2010 season and, while he has yet to return to the form he should early in his career, he played a big role in the Seahawks playoff run. He remains a powerful runner, but he needs to stay healthy and put together another season like 2007 or 2008 in order for him to return to top form. Paul Posluszny came into the NFL with the worst criticism of him being that he may not have elite athleticism. Well that lack of athleticism hardly made a difference. Posluszny has done little different in the NFL than he did in college, racking up tackles in large bunches and being a solid leader for a transitioning defense. Injuries have forced him to miss some time, but he should be a priority to re-sign and a force in the middle of the Bills defense for years to come. Trent Edwards started nine games in his rookie season and was fairly productive, if conservative. However, his conservative style of play would eventually lead to his downfall in Buffalo. It got to the point where Edwards would check down to the detriment of the offense. His downfield accuracy decreased as the years passed and he was eventually waived following a bad start to the 2010 season. He was picked up by Jacksonville, where he backed up David Garrard. Dwayne wright was supposed to be a power goal-line compliment to Marshawn Lynch. His contributions during his rookie season were minimal before an injury forced him to miss the rest of the season and he was cut before the next season. He has bounced around the league in various training camps, but has never made an impact. John Wendling was brought to be an athletic backup safety and special teams ace. He did well in that role, but he was far from being an indispensable as a guy like Steve Tasker. He was released following the 2009 season and was picked up by the Lions to fill the same role. Derek Shouman was brought in to be a flex fullback/tight end hybrid. However, injuries and limited success in the receiving game kept him from taking a more active role in the passing game. He was cut following an injury plagued 2009 and spent most of last year with the Rams. C.J. Ah You was cut in training camp of his rookie year and spent three years on the Rams practice squad. He finally started appearing in games last year and was one of the top backups in the Rams defensive line rotation this past season. Overall this draft has been disappointing. Lynch and Edwards had promising starts to their careers, but nether were able to maintain their high level of play and are now gone. Other than Posluszny, this draft has yielded no long-term contributors, and Posluszny may leave in free agency.
Final Grade: D
2008
Round 1, Pick 11 – Leodis McKelvin – Troy – Cornerback
Round 2, Pick 41 – James Hardy – Indiana – Wide Receiver
Round 3, Pick 72 – Chris Ellis – Virginia Tech – Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Round 4, Pick 114 – Reggie Corner – Akron – Cornerback
Round 4, Pick 132 – Derek Fine – Kansas – Tight End
Round 5, Pick 147 – Alvin Bowen – Iowa State – Linebacker
Round 6, Pick 179 – Xavier Omon – Northwestern Missouri State – Runningback
Round 7, Pick 219 – Demetrius Bell – Northwestern (L.A.) – Offensive Tackle
Round 7, Pick 224 – Steve Johnson – Kentucky – Wide Receiver
Round 7, Pick 251 – Kennard Cox – Pittsburgh – Safety/Cornerback
Overall: Leodis McKelvin was brought in to be an athletic partner to the already talented Terrance McGee. He has shown that kind of athleticism in his three years with the Bills; however his athleticism is not what most Bills fans have been looking at. Most fans have focused more on how sparse his big plays have been. This has most been due to how much he gambles and his inconsistent technique at the position. He still has been solid (minus the lost season due to a fractured leg). Sadly the rest of this class has been very disappointing in comparison. James Hardy was brought in to be a big red-zone receiver but he never really adjusted to the mindset of the NFL and tore his ACL at the end of his first year. He is no out of work. Chris Ellis failed to make any kind of contributions in his limited time with the Bills. He was released and is now with the Steelers. Reggie Corner has shown himself to be a valuable nickel and dime contributor with his excellent short area quickness and tenacity at the position. He has carved out a niche for himself as a sub-package corner and could stick around for a few more years especially considering the emphasis that has been placed on three and four wide receiver sets in the NFL today. Derek Fine filled a role as a backup tight end fairly well, but was unable to show himself as the kind of dynamic receiver that the Bills needed out of the tight end position. He was released before the end of the season. Alvin Bowen missed his rookie season because of an injury and has bounced around the league since. Xavier Omon was buried on a depth chart behind Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson, so his contributions were minimal before he was cut following the 2009 season. Demetrius Bell spent his rookie season sitting on the bench, developing. He was given an opportunity to start in his sophomore season following the trade of Jason Peters to the Eagles. He held up, though hardly impressed. Last year he started all 16games and made more of an impression as the left tackle. He still has a ways to go before he can replace what Peters was, but he has the tools to do it. He just needs to be more consistent. Steve Johnson spent his first two seasons on the team relegated to back-up status and was barely heard from in that time. However this past season, Johnson broke out in a big way, catching 82 passes for more than 1000 yards and ten touchdowns. He showed himself to be a big physical receiver with good route running skills and good (though not great) speed. If he becomes more consistent with catching the ball, he could become a number one receiver, instead of a strong number two playing the number one’s role because of lack of depth. Kennard Cox was cut in his rookie training camp and has only seen sparing time around the NFL. Overall this class is also quite disappointing because of the lack of depth it brought. While Johnson broke out last year and Bell, McKelvin and Corner have been solid contributors, all the other miss can’t be made up for with that small a group of contributors.
Final Grade: C-
2009
Round 1, Pick 11 – Aaron Maybin – Penn State – Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Round 1, Pick 28 – Eric Wood – Louisville – Offensive Guard/Center
Round 2, Pick 42 – Jarius Byrd – Oregon – Safety
Round 2, Pick 51 – Andy Levitre – Oregon State – Offensive Guard
Round 4, Pick 121 – Shawn Nelson – Southern Mississippi – Tight End
Round 5, Pick 147 – Nic Harris – Oklahoma – Safety/Linebacker
Round 6, Pick 183 – Cary Harris – USC – Cornerback
Round 7, Pick 220 – Ellis Lankster – West Virginia – Cornerback
Overall: Aaron Maybn may go down as one of the worst draft selections in the history of the Bills. While it is somewhat premature to label him an out-and-out bust, the signs are not looking good. To this point he has barely seen the field and has never recorded a sack. For a player that was supposed to bring great pass rushing tools and athleticism to the position, he has never been able to show that kind of stuff at the pro level. If he doesn’t start producing, he may well find himself without a job in the near future. Unlike previous drafts however, the Bills were able to strike gold with their next three picks. Eric Wood brought a great attitude to the guard position his rookie year and was considered the team’s best offensive lineman before he broke his leg, which forced him to miss the rest of the season. He recovered very well from the broken leg and didn’t seem to miss a beat in returning to his role of the mauler along the offensive line. He even started a few games at center towards the end of the season when regular starter Geoff Hangarter missed part of the season because of an injury. He should be in that spot for years to come. Jarus Byrd had an excellent rookie season, finishing the season (which was shortened by an ACL tear) with 9 interceptions, tying for first in the NFL. However upon returning from the ACL tear, he seemed to be lost in the backfield he once dominated. He still played fairly well, but he just didn’t have the same kind of big plays he had the previous year. Another year removed from the knee injury should help. Andy Levitre has been a great pickup. He slid into a starting role at guard during his rookie season and has remained there ever since. He has the same kind of physical playing style as Wood and has proven to be the healthier of the two to this point. Shawn Nelson has flashed big play ability, but has struggled to stay on the field and may never reach the potential he showed at Southern Mississippi. Nic Harris, Cary Harris and Elli Lankster all flashed some potential in their rookie seasons with the Bills, however all three found themselves on different teams by the end of the 2010 season. Overall this draft was better than most people thought. The whiff on Aaron Maybin will likely be the lasting image, but three quality starters were added with the next three picks and all three look to be long-term starters on a team that needs continuity to pull itself out of the mire it has been stuck in the past 11 years.
Final Grade: C+
2010
Round 1, Pick 9 – C.J. Spiller – Clemson – Runningback
Round 2, Pick 41 – Torell Troup – UCF – Defensive Tackle
Round 3, Pick 72 – Alex Carrington – Arkansas State – Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Round 4, Pick 107 – Marcus Easley – Connecticut – Wide Receiver
Round 5, Pick 140 – Ed Wang – Virginia Tech – Offensive Tackle
Round 6, Pick 178 – Arthur Moats – James Madison – Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Round 6, Pick 192 – Dan Batten – South Dakota State – Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Round 7, Pick 209 – Levi Brown – Troy – Quarterback
Round 7, Pick 216 – Kyle Calloway – Iowa – Offensive Tackle/Guard
Overall: C.J. Spiller was a luxury pick if there ever was one. While he brings a lot of playmaking ability and speed, he never looked like the kind of player that could carry a team. He looked a lot like that kind of player during his rookie year. He had some bright moments, like his 95 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and some bad moments, like…..well, most of the rest of the season. He must do a better job of looking for blocks to spring him instead of relying on his great speed to run away from defenders. Another year will help, but Spiller needs to take a big step forward to avoid falling into the same trap that Ted Ginn Jr. did. Torell Troup worked in the defensive line rotation and showed well in him limited snaps. He has the potential to be a solid nose tackle, but he needs to be more consistent in his technique and leverage. Alex Carrington took a bit of time adjusting to his new role as a five technique, but he showed potential later in the year. He has pass rushing ability. He should have more opportunities this year with Marcus Stroud being shown the door. Marcus Easley missed the entire year with a knee injury. Ed Wang missed most of training camp with an injury then struggled to find the field due to more injuries. He will have to impress this offseason to give himself a chance to get on the field this year. Arthur Moats got limited playing time early in the year, but showed edge rushing potential as the year went along, most notably with the hit that end Brett Favre’s consecutive starts streak. He could work his way into a starting job with a strong preseason showing. Danny Batten missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury. Levi Brown was a project coming into the league and spent most of the season developing as the third quarterback. He showed he still needed development in his very brief appearance at the end of the last game of the year. Kyle Calloway was cut at the end of training camp. Overall this group still has a lot to prove. Only Moats seems to have found a niche for himself and there are questions as to whether or not he could be a full time starter at that spot. If he, Carrington and Troup all become solid starters, it may make up for whatever contributions Spiller doesn’t make. Spiller can at least be a solid special teamer, but he needs to make more of an impact on the offensive side of the ball in order to justify his selection at #9 overall spot.
Final Grade: C-
2011
Rd. 1, Pick 3 – Marcell Dareus – Alabama – Defensive Tackle
Rd. 2, Pick 34 – Aaron Williams – Texas – Cornerback/Safety
Rd. 3, Pick 68 – Kelvin Sheppard – LSU – Linebacker
Rd. 4, Pick 100 – Da’Norris Searcy – North Carolina – Safety
Rd. 4, Pick 122 – Chris Hairston – Clemson – Offensive Tackle
Rd. 5, Pick 133 – Johnny White – North Carolina – Runningback
Rd. 6, Pick 169 – Chris White – Mississippi State – Linebacker
Rd. 7, Pick 206 – Justin Rodgers – Richmond – Cornerback
Rd. 7, Pick 245 – Michael Jasper – Bethel (TN) – Offensive Tackle
Overall: The selection of Marcell Dareus with the third overall pick was a fairly obvious decision. Not only was he the best player on the board at that time, but he is a perfect fit for the five technique, which the Bills have been without since they decided to switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4. He brings great athletic prowess to the position and plenty of experience from his days at Alabama. He should fit in perfectly with Kyle Williams along the Bills defensive line. The Aaron Williams pick is both sensible and confusing at the same time. The Bills have plenty of talent at the corner and safety position. That being said, that talent hasn’t always been on display and several of their better players are free agents this year. The Williams pick brings a talented player who can play either corner or safety into the fold and gives the Bills options with the players they have. Kelvin Sheppard is good athletic linebacker with the speed to roam sideline to sideline. He should provide a good starting option next to Paul Posluszny (or as a replacement to Posluszny if he moves on in free agency). Da’Norris Searcy brings the kick return ability and a physical presence in defending the run. He could find a spot next to Jarius Byrd at strong safety if the Bills don’t re-sign Donte Whitner. Chris Hairston is a developmental project at tackle, but he has the tools to be a quality left tackle. Johnny White is a strong downhill runner, who could provide a power compliment to the speed of CJ Spiller down the line. Chris White, Justin Rogers and Michael Jasper bring depth.
Final Grade: B+
6-Year Overall Grade: C-
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