Who was the worst 1st Round Pick the Bills ever made?

[Real McClappy]

A first round pick, in a WR heavy draft full of talent. We traded up, he barely played last year.

It's a what have you done for me lately league.

For what it's worth.. a healthy Sammy IMO is a top 3 WR in this league.

ATL fans were saying the exact same thing for JJ with the exact same injury.

[WGBillsFan]

I say Maybin...after his NFL career (if you can call it a career) he couldn't even make it in the CFL....maybe his art/painting career will be better than his football career.

[K-9]

Recency bias is an interesting phenomenon.

[FireChan]

Recency bias is an interesting phenomenon.

Just aren't as many fans who remember the 60s and 70s.

[K-9]

Just aren't as many fans who remember the 60s and 70s.

No doubt personal experience plays a role, but I don't think it explains it entirely.

[BADOLBILZ]

We need Leroi or jw to give us some insight... However my understanding is the Bills wanted Lynch out as much as Lynch wanted out. Maybe more so.

 

 

None of this is being disputed.

 

Hell, Gilmore wanted out of Buffalo the moment he was drafted ...........and yet they made him play out his deal.

 

The point is that sometimes the pick is worse than the player........even when the player himself falls far short of expectations.

 

Spiller was taken as a "need" because they were planning to move on from Lynch and wanted a different kind of lead back for Gailey's system.

 

Need picks early in the draft tend to be mistakes..........but the Spiller pick was a double-doozie because it made it easy for them to dump a player entering his prime who would become their most accomplished #1 pick in the last 30+ years......as well as the missed opportunity at more important positions later in the draft.

 

Those were the treading water days where they were dumping guys like Pat Williams, Lawyer Milloy, Nate Clements and London Fletcher then turning around and using their top picks on "replacements" McCargo, Whitner, McKelvin and Poz.

 

Hard to get ahead when you are a bad team and all you are doing is letting good players go and replacing them, with "mixed results"(to be kind).

Edited March 19, 2017 by #BADOL

[JohnC]

 

Hard to get ahead when you are a bad team and all you are doing is letting good players go and replacing them, with "mixed results"(to be kind).

Won't the Bills be following the same let go to replace approach if they use their first pick on a CB? Or another way of looking at it is if you don't move forward then you are not moving forward. The status quo might be an appealing position to be in if you are a winner but if you are a loser it is not something that should find appealing unless you are comfortable with your loser status.

[JinxedBill1]

Being in my 30s, Maybin is the biggest bust I've seen and it's not even close.

[Rob's House]

As far as production to draft pick value Maybin's about as bad as it gets. But if we're judging based on the overall detriment to the franchise I'd say it's a toss up between Losman and EJ Manwell; not because of the loss of picks but because the investment in each of them caused us to forego better options that in each case set the franchise back years.

[blacklabel]

It's Aaron Maybin and it's not even close. Don't know how/why anyone would call Spiller their worst first round pick ever. The dude didn't match the hype but he was productive and had an excellent year in 2012. Maybin made a handful of tackles, zero sacks and was cut after two seasons. With his size and athletic ability he should've been converted to tight end. 6'4", 250, ran a 4.64 40, had a 40" vertical, a 10'10" broad jump, 22 reps on the bench press. Jauron went gaga for his burst off the snap but that's all he had in his arsenal. Couldn't stack and shed blocks, had no counter moves, pure speed rusher.

 

After that, I'd say Mike Williams, but he was the number one OL on every teams board that year and was one of those "sure thing" types that never made it.

 

Losman, Whitner, McKelvin, etc. none of those guys ever lived up to their draft slot but they at least had stretches of time where they contributed. Maybin contributed zero, which is why I can't understand how he isn't the unanimous choice for worst first rounder ever selected by the Bills, haha.

[Greybeard]

Worst pick: Maybin -- he was so bad he shouldn't have been drafted at all, talent-wise he was a camp cut. Guy simply couldn't play football unless he was lined up against 20-year old future insurance agents and high school coaches. Mike Williams may have been a disappointment but he started something like 50 games. There's no comparison between those two.

 

Worst decision: Losman -- they still hasn't recovered from the ramifications of that trade/pick.

 

It's blasphemy to even suggest it, but yeah, Marino should have been the pick.

 

 

If the Bills had picked Marino, the team would have been entirely different in the 90's. One of the best things Kelly did for the Bills was not play for them right from the start. This allowed the Bills to suck really bad and collect some really high draft picks, which really helped all through those super bowl years. They didn't have to try to tank, they were naturally bad.

If Kelly would have come to Buffalo when first drafted, they would have been mediocre those first few years and IMO would have never made it to a super bowl.

[re enlightener]

The problem with McGahee was that he only played hard until he was given the starting role over Henry. Once Henry was off the team, McGahee stopped playing as hard which is why Levy traded him to Baltimore.

yes but had we kept willis and let fred start one game the next year, like we should have, he woulda been in the same boat and started playing again, marshawns drafting also kept FJ hidden for an extra 2 years on the roster, kinda like bringing in TO kept SJ hidden for an extra year.

[harv shitz]

Oh my, could go on for days! In any particular order: Maybin, Manuel, Tony Hunter, Tom Cousineau, The WR we took instead of Russel Wilson, Mike Williams, RB Terry Miller.

 

We certainly have missed on a bunch of guys, where a good pick could have made a huge difference. The bypass of Russell Wilson is one of the most befuddling moves this team ever made! You needed a quarterback in the worst way, yet don't take a guy who would have immediately made you a playoff team.

[BADOLBILZ]

Won't the Bills be following the same let go to replace approach if they use their first pick on a CB? Or another way of looking at it is if you don't move forward then you are not moving forward. The status quo might be an appealing position to be in if you are a winner but if you are a loser it is not something that should find appealing unless you are comfortable with your loser status.

 

If they reach over better players at similarly important positions.....yes.

 

The early rounds of the draft shouldn't be about filling needs but occasionally you let a player go when you foresee a very deep draft......and use that money ELSEWHERE.

 

But the reality is that needs change FAST.

 

One moment you have the best pass rushing front in the NFL........7 months later you are reaching for a pass rushing DE in round 1 to fill a need.

 

Here is another simple rule of thumb that the Bills often did not follow...........if the player you draft in the early rounds pans out and you are like "we can't pay a (insert position) that much money" when they hit free agency.......then you shouldn't have drafted them early in the first place.

 

Picks that irritated me were guys like Preston Brown and John Miller........their ceilings were such that they are destined to leave in free agency.......if they panned out there would be 2-3 LB/G-sick teams that would overpay a bit to avoid having to draft those positions.....and if not then you end up STILL needy.

[The Jokeman]

Al Cowlings considering many great DTs were drafted after him.

[dgrochester55]

Got to go with Maybin.

 

A lot of the other guys mentioned in here, were at least thought of highly in the first place, and not just by the Bills.

 

I'm not sure anyone else in the league would have taken Maybin where we did, whereas I think others would have made the same mistake we did, with other guys mentioned.

Yeah, I mentioned Maybin earlier. The difference so me is others busts like Spiller, Whitner, Williams and even Losman and Manuel to an extent at least played for awhile. Had any of them hypothetically been picked from mid to late round,the would have been just another guy.

 

Maybin was so bad that he could have been picked in the 6th and 7th round and still been considered a bust.

Edited March 20, 2017 by dgrochester55

[jjmac]

Terry had a 1000 yard season no? Tuttle did zilch

I expect more than that from a first-round pick.

 

Terry Miller had a good rookie season (1,000+ yards rushing) and then was replaced by Joe Cribbs

A first rounder replaced by a second rounder.

[34-78-83]

I expect more than that from a first-round pick.

 

A first rounder replaced by a second rounder.

All True but Tuttle did nothing, nor did Flowers or Maybin... That makes them worse picks than Miller.

[boyst]

Just aren't as many fans who remember the 60s and 70s.

and many of us are trying to forget the 00's and 10's.

[Imissbeastmode]

Sammy Watkins

[Boatdrinks]

Sammy Watkins

Not even close to making the list

[xRUSHx]

My choice is Mike Williams then Maybin

Edited March 20, 2017 by xRUSHx

[wppete]

Mayhavebeen Maybin.

[BarleyNY]

A strong case could be made for Williams over Maybin based on the definition of the word "bust". Everyone viewed Mike Williams as a future all pro type guy who would be a soild player for many years. Williams was supposed to be great. He turned out to be the exact opposite. On the other hand Aaron Maybin was not viewed as a can't miss prospect by the majority of other teams. He was another guy who we reached for. Drafting Maybin was a mistake at the time, drafting Williams was only a mistake in hindsight. Based on this criteria Williams was the bigger bust. Based solely on production Maybin would be the biggest bust.

I agree. There's different ways to look at the question. Biggest bust? Williams. He's a guy that was supposed to be great, but never amounted to anything in the NFL. Then there are WTF?!?! moments. Maybin. That was just a stupid pick. Also Whitner deserves an honorable mention if we are talking about reaches. I can blast the Bills for the last two, but they just got unlucky with Williams. That at least made sense when it happened.

[DallasBillsFan1]

I agree

Yup, a real reach

[Mrbojanglezs]

Aaron Maybin

[GunnerBill]

I agree. There's different ways to look at the question. Biggest bust? Williams. He's a guy that was supposed to be great, but never amounted to anything in the NFL. Then there are WTF?!?! moments. Maybin. That was just a stupid pick. Also Whitner deserves an honorable mention if we are talking about reaches. I can blast the Bills for the last two, but they just got unlucky with Williams. That at least made sense when it happened.

 

 

I think Whitner was less of a bust. Bad pick and a reach at that point of the draft, sure, but Whitner was a decent player he was just no more than that. I put him in the same bracket I put Spiller.

 

Maybin was a huge reach and a total non-contributor once he arrived and Williams was, as you say, a seemingly sensible pick that didn't work out and busted.

[dpberr]

Aaron Maybin gets my vote.

 

I don't fault the Bills for picking Mike Williams however. I recall that both he and Bryant McKinnie were both considered can't miss offensive line prospects.

[BADOLBILZ]

Aaron Maybin gets my vote.

 

I don't fault the Bills for picking Mike Williams however. I recall that both he and Bryant McKinnie were both considered can't miss offensive line prospects.

 

Actually only McKinnie was considered a can't miss........he'd been considered a possible #1 overall pick from the time the prior drafted ended.........but Donahoe got cute.

 

As a right tackle for a team that rarely passed the ball at Texas Mike Williams wasn't even on the radar to be picked that high until well into the postseason draft process.

 

That November Shout Magazine went to print with a big picture of McKinnie on the cover......I believe that was the only time they'd ever done anything like that IN SEASON........the media was all penning him in as THE pick........Donahoe was very offended that people were making the pick for him........and then he subsequently f*cked it up by NOT picking the long time quality NFL LT McKinnie.

[EersN'Bills]

Since I've been a fan, far too many.

 

Flowers, Williams, Whitner, Maybin, Manuel. Take your pick.

[row_33]

Sammy Watkins

 

Understandable as an answer, and the sun is setting quick on him, but he's not even top 10 worst.

[Gabe Northern]

People on this thread need to appreciate that JP Losman had a far better Bills career than EJ Manuel and was a much better player.

 

JP had elite arm talent and impressive acceleration on scrambles. He threw for over 3,000 yards in an NFL season and authored an impressive comeback in Houston.

 

No doubt JP sucked due to intermediate accuracy issues and turnovers, but at #22 overall, he was a much better pick than EJ at #16.

[row_33]

People on this thread need to appreciate that JP Losman had a far better Bills career than EJ Manuel and was a much better player.

 

JP had elite arm talent and impressive acceleration on scrambles. He threw for over 3,000 yards in an NFL season and authored an impressive comeback in Houston.

 

No doubt JP sucked due to intermediate accuracy issues and turnovers, but at #22 overall, he was a much better pick than EJ at #16.

 

I put EJ and JP in the same basket, a lot of horror show and a bit of goodness out there to cling to.

[Adam]

JD Williams, anyone?

[Jauronimo]

 

Understandable as an answer, and the sun is setting quick on him, but he's not even top 10 worst.

Not at all understandable. There is no question that Sammy is a premier NFL talent. He has actually produced. He's a starter on any team in the league. His first two seasons blow away the combined impact of Maybin, Flowers, and McCargo.

[Adam]

Not at all understandable. There is no question that Sammy is a premier NFL talent. He has actually produced. He's a starter on any team in the league. His first two seasons blow away the combined impact of Maybin, Flowers, and McCargo.

He played under the worst coach in team history, and in an offense that doesn't feature the pass. He's an effective blocker and an explosive threat. Far from a bust

[MarkyMannn]

Sammy Watkins

 

 

Not even close to making the list

Give him some time.

 

Damn there is a lot of bad picks in this thread

[Spiderweb]

Eric Flowers and Maybin. Absolute zero return.

 

sent from my LG G5

 

 

[jeffismagic]

Aaron Maybin. Bills draft a guy that fans were aware was too small before the draft. You just don't draft a defensive end that was 235 lbs playing weight and got his sacks in college where he ran untouched to the QB.

[row_33]

Not at all understandable. There is no question that Sammy is a premier NFL talent. He has actually produced. He's a starter on any team in the league. His first two seasons blow away the combined impact of Maybin, Flowers, and McCargo.

 

Sorta being sarcastic in my prior reply, in good nature stating I could understand...

 

He's peeing away a ton of potential even as I type this, hope he can turn it around immediately.