What Buffalo Bills draft choice surprised you the most on draft day?

[msw2112]

Whitner was a huge surprise for me.  At the time, I was pretty familar with the top draft prospects, and also watched Michigan-Ohio State every year (Whitner played at Ohio State), and had never even heard of Whitner.  I was shocked at him being picked so early, given the talent on the board.  I was really upset by the pick.

 

The other one that comes to mind is Maybin.  I was just as furious, if not more, than the Whitner pick.  The difference is that I was not surprised in the least.  I knew who Maybin was, had a sick feeling the Bills were going to pick him, knew he'd be a bust, and unfortunately, was correct on all counts.  Maybin was a nobody at Penn State for a couple of years, then had one "great" year that wasn't all that great.  He piled up sacks in the first few games against inferior opponents, but did little to nothing against the better competition in the Big 10.  Those results, along his small stature, were easy indicators that he'd be a bust.  But Dick Jauron really liked that "first step."

 

Don't even get me started with McCargo and Troupe.  I love COACH Marv Levy, but GM Marv Levy no so much.

[KCNC]

Whitner

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

Spiller. Hated that pick and still do. I know Lynch was having his problems, but Fred Jackon was certainly capable of leading that backfield. And it amazed me that people on forums were still trying to justify it. To be completely honest I wanted Jimmy Clausen so though both were gonna be equally terrible picks.

Edited April 13, 2023 by ChronicAndKnuckles

[Free Speech]

Donte Whitner and it's not even close. I remember sitting there in disbelief

Edited April 13, 2023 by Free Speech
Misspell

[Jay_Fixit]

4 hours ago, Sherlock Holmes said:

Troup over Gronk, Zay over Kupp

Basham over Humback Whale

You wanted the Bills to draft Cooper Kupp over Zay Jones?

 

bull to the *****.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Jay_Fixit

[Ethan in Cleveland]

As others have said, Whitner and McGahee are the two that made zero sense. Sure Maybin was a bad pick but it made some sense. 

Whitner over Ngata? Why Marv why?

And what arrogance to take McGahee thinking your team which didn't make the playoffs the year before was good enough to take a RB to sit out an entire year.

 

[Jay_Fixit]

Whitner

Spiller

McGahee

[oldmanfan]

Some others have forgotten:

 

1.  Tony Hunter with the initial first round pick before Kelly

2.  Walt Patulski with the first overall pick.

3.  Cousineau with the first overall pick when he was saying he wouldn’t come to Buffalo

Edited April 13, 2023 by oldmanfan

[Nihilarian]

Sammy Watkins for sure. The kid made most of his plays, yards from screens...exactly how many screen plays did the Buffalo Bills throw at that time?

[BillsFanForever19]

15 minutes ago, Jay_Fixit said:

You wanted the Bills to draft Cooper Kupp over Zay Jones?

 

bull to the *****.

 

Exactly. This post is for in the moment on Draft Day reactions. Anyone who says they wanted Cooper Kupp over Zay Jones on Draft Day is a liar.

[Scott7975]

I dont watch College ball so I dont really know anything about players, which makes it hard to be surprised.

 

I'll say CJ Spiller.  RB at 9 overall on a team that had two great backs.  Then I would say Basham... right after drafting DL in round 1.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Scott7975

[billsbackto81]

Maybin over Orakpo

Whitner over Ngata

 

But the one that was surprising, to me at least was when they traded up and took Sammy Watkins. 

 

When they made the announcement a trade was made me and my best friend were dancing like school girls because we thought for sure we were picking Khalil Mack.

[smward8]

5 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Easily Whitner over Ngata.  Never saw that coming and was stunned when they didn’t call Ngata’s name.  
 

 

[First Round Bust]

70s - Patulski, Dokes,Gant - it was the best of times, sex, drugs and rock-n-roll, it was the worst of times on the field

80s - Tuttle, Booker Moore - when Knox left so did the winning until Polian 

90 - Williams James (he of the flame retarndant jersey), Flowers - Butler kept the boat afloat and the cigarettes lit

00s - Mcargo, Maybn - after Butler left and broke his heart, old man Wilson did not know and trust anyone without gray hair: Levy, Donahoe, Nix

10s - EJ , Sammy - Whaley

Beane Era - not Tre, but Josh, Edmunds, Oliver, Rousseau, Elam - I dont see a bust, but Elam was a reach based on need

 

[TampaBillsJunkie]

When I read all of these I get really really sad and some Bills PTSD.

[TC in St. Louis]

I'll wait on Bernard.  When he got on the field, it was due to injury and he wasn't ready.  They chose him to develop over time, and it's time now to see him develop.  Maybe he'll put on 15 pounds and get taller and become a beast.  

 

Biggest surprise for me was probably Whitner.  I freaked out.  I remember thinking they had the USC QB in their hands, and they surely could've traded down.  

 

Nobody really knows how players will turn out.  Read the pre-draft analysis on just about anybody and you might think he's gonna be great.  

I'll wait on Bernard.  When he got on the field, it was due to injury and he wasn't ready.  They chose him to develop over time, and it's time now to see him develop.  Maybe he'll put on 15 pounds and get taller and become a beast.  

 

Biggest surprise for me was probably Whitner.  I freaked out.  I remember thinking they had the USC QB in their hands, and they surely could've traded down.  

 

Nobody really knows how players will turn out.  Read the pre-draft analysis on just about anybody and you might think he's gonna be great.  

I'll wait on Bernard.  When he got on the field, it was due to injury and he wasn't ready.  They chose him to develop over time, and it's time now to see him develop.  Maybe he'll put on 15 pounds and get taller and become a beast.  

 

Biggest surprise for me was probably Whitner.  I freaked out.  I remember thinking they had the USC QB in their hands, and they surely could've traded down.  

 

Nobody really knows how players will turn out.  Read the pre-draft analysis on just about anybody and you might think he's gonna be great.  

[JohnNord]

3 hours ago, chongli said:

 

I'm a little confused by your post.

 

1. I actually expected Buffalo to take McGahee, given the value. He was a likely top 5 pick who fell. It would be like if Jalen Carter fell to 27 this year. Of course we would take him. And Buffalo had a reputation for shocking then world back then on draft day, like when traded our first the previous year for Bledsoe. 

 

2. As for Losman, there was huge talk of Buffalo wanting a QB that year. We desperately wanted Roethlisberger and almost had him.

Like I said, I didn’t follow the team as closely as I do now and I was younger then, but I don’t remember any reports linking McGahee to Buffalo.  
 

As far as the interest in Roethlisberger, that came out months after the draft.  It wasn’t common knowledge beforehand.  If there was talk about Buffalo wanting a QB, I wasn’t aware of it 

[McBean]

Josh Allen.

 

That’s right, Josh Allen.

 

thought we were taken Rosen.

 

When I’m wrong, I’ll admit it. The crow has never tasted better.

Edited April 13, 2023 by McBean

[Don Otreply]

Maybin, 

 

and it wasn’t a good surprise, 

Edited April 13, 2023 by Don Otreply

[MrEpsYtown]

2 hours ago, Jay_Fixit said:

You wanted the Bills to draft Cooper Kupp over Zay Jones?

 

bull to the *****.

I remember everyone wanting Smith-Schuster and Chris Godwin
 

I also believe @Sherlock Holmes Kupp fits their type