Biggest NFL Draft Mistakes in Buffalo Bills History
Several of the Buffalo Bills’ past NFL Draft decisions still linger in the minds of fans—some more painfully than others. Writer Matt Warren reflected on a few of the most regrettable moves the team has made over the years when it comes to the draft, highlighting a handful of selections that had long-lasting consequences.
One of the most infamous was the 2010 decision to draft defensive tackle Torell Troup over tight end Rob Gronkowski. At the time, Buffalo had a pressing need at tight end, and Gronkowski—an upstate New York native—was available in the second round despite injury concerns. The Bills chose Troup instead. Troup’s career was cut short due to injury, while Gronkowski went on to become a Hall of Famer and a consistent thorn in Buffalo’s side as a member of the Patriots.
Another draft misstep often debated is the 2017 trade that allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to select quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Bills received multiple picks in return and used one of them to draft All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White. While Buffalo benefited from that deal, many fans can’t help but wonder what might have been if Mahomes had developed into a star in Buffalo—though it’s widely believed that the coaching situation at the time would not have suited him.
The 2012 selection of wide receiver T.J. Graham over quarterback Russell Wilson is another decision that aged poorly. Buffalo opted for a speed receiver, but Graham had a brief and unremarkable stint with the team. Meanwhile, Wilson became a Pro Bowl mainstay and led Seattle to multiple Super Bowl appearances.
Other draft regrets include passing on future stars like Julio Jones and J.J. Watt in 2011 to select Marcell Dareus, trading up for Sammy Watkins in 2014 in a wide receiver-rich draft, and using high picks in 2006 on Donte Whitner and John McCargo while bypassing players like Haloti Ngata and DeMeco Ryans. The list also features smaller but still painful misses, such as drafting C.J. Spiller despite already having a strong running back group, or picking James Hardy and Aaron Maybin, both of whom failed to meet expectations.
Looking back even further, Buffalo made questionable calls in earlier drafts as well—such as taking Tom Cousineau first overall in 1979 (he never played for the team) and the 2000 draft class, which yielded very little value despite multiple picks. For many Bills fans, these draft-day mistakes serve as reminders of what could have been during some critical rebuilding years.
