Buffalo Bills: Report Card Grades for Their Last Five Draft Classes

The Bills are like a patchwork quilt when you consider their last five draft classes. Marv Levy was the GM for the 2007 class, Russ Brandon for the 2008 and 2009 classes, and then Brandon was promoted to CEO and Buddy Nix became the GM for the 2010 draft.

The 2007-09 classes can't really be chalked up to one member of the front office, as the final decision-maker, and perhaps the results reflect that. Now Nix seems to have final say, so the last two drafts are the best indicators of the direction of the team.

2007

First-round RB Marshawn Lynch was strong at first, but became a role player, and was eventually dealt for a fourth and fifth-round pick. Then the team gave up a third-round pick to move up in the second for LB Paul Posluszny, who was a quality starter, but not good enough for the team to commit to him long-term when his rookie contract expired.

The third-round pick that was the primary compensation for Willis McGahee brought QB Trent Edwards, who authored a forgettable chapter in Bills history.

Fourth-round RB Dwayne Harris was a complete bust, and DT Tony Hargrove, who they received in exchange for their fifth-round pick, was only a marginal contributor. Sixth-round pick S John Wendling contributed on special teams and hung around for three years.

Seventh-round TE Derek Schouman actually started for a good part of 2008, but that was more reflective of the Bills' lack of quality tight ends than the quality of the pick. The team got an extra seventh-rounder in the McGahee trade, and that turned out to be DE CJ Ah You, who was released at the end of camp.

Grade: C

2008

The Bills went from 12th to 11th in the first round and picked up Leodis McKelvin, who has failed to stick as a starter at cornerback and generally underwhelmed. Second-round pick James Hardy was an unmitigated bust after tearing his ACL. Third-round DE/OLB Chris Ellis started one game in three years and didn't last until the end of that third campaign.

The Bills also traded a third- and fifth-round pick to Jacksonville for Marcus Stroud, which was their biggest success of the first three rounds.

The second half of the draft blew the first half out of the water on seventh-round pick Stevie Johnson's selection alone. The fourth round also brought good depth in CB Reggie Corner and another seventh-round pick yielded future starting LT Demetrius Bell.

TE Derek Fine, OLB Alvin Bowen, RB Xavier Omon and CB Kennard Cox completed the second day haul, but none made lasting contributions.

Grade: C

2009

The Bills, being stuck in a holding pattern, chose 11th again, and took one of the biggest busts in team history, LB Aaron Maybin. The first-round pick received as part of the package for LT Jason Peters did provide a nice return in cornerstone C Eric Wood, as did their natural second-round pick, turned into ballhawking free safety Jairus Byrd.

The team then converted a third and fourth into Dallas's second-round pick, used to take Andy Levitre, who has settled in as a quality starting guard.

The team would probably like to forget the second day altogether, as an extra fourth-rounder acquired in the Peters deal fizzled in the form of TE Shawn Nelson. Fifth-round LB/S Nic Harris, sixth-round CB Cary Harris and CB Ellis Lankster all failed to stick with the team long-term.

Grade: C

2010

Now picking ninth (notice a pattern?), the Bills surprised with a choice of CJ Spiller, who is starting to pan out, but hasn't really made the team better yet. Second-round pick Torell Troup has been a nice rotational player, but second-round picks should be more than that.

Likewise, third-round DE Alex Carrington has provided depth, but hasn't made an impact yet. He is optimistic about the switch to a 4-3 defense, which he played in college at Arkansas State.

Fourth-round WR Marcus Easley showed promise, but missed 2011 with a heart condition. Fifth-round OL Ed Wang was cut last year. A pair of OLBs taken in the sixth round, Danny Batten and Arthur Moats (Batten was taken with the selection that completed the Jason Peters trade) have been mostly unproductive.

The Bills got a seventh-round pick from Detroit for failed safety Ko Simpson, but OT Kyle Calloway, taken with that pick, and QB Levi Brown, taken with the Bills' natural pick, are no longer with the team.

Grade: D

2011

The mediocrity of the previous years culminated in a No.3 overall selection that was used wisely on franchise DT Marcell Dareus. Second-round CB Aaron Williams seems to be ticketed for a starting gig, as does third-round LB Kelvin Sheppard. 

None of the team's third-day picks made an instant impact, but seventh-round pick Michael Jasper has been turned into a high-upside guard prospect, and all of the picks are still on the team's roster.

Grade: B+

What Have We Learned?

Committees don't make the best decisions, so it's not a surprise that the team's win-loss record never got out of the doldrums between 2007 and 2009. Nix stubbed his toe in his first draft, but seems to have recovered well with some excellent defensive picks in his second draft.

The Bills are back in that 9-12 range again in the first, and it will be up to Nix to do more with a pick there than his predecessors did in the past.