The Buffalo Bills got some amazing production in 2018 from two rookies who were both undrafted and both from the same school.
The offseason focus in 2018 was how the Buffalo Bills would begin rebuilding the roster via the NFL Draft.
Naturally, the team found two great rookies without having to spend a draft pick on either.
Both Robert Foster and Levi Wallace emerged as starters for the Bills in 2018. Both players were undrafted, but both went to Alabama. That usually signals some talent.
That was indeed the case as both players received great grades from Pro Football Focus when it came to all the rookies in the NFL last season.
From 'Bama to the Bills – Levi Wallace & Robert Foster shattered expectations this season.https://t.co/85XNJXOSte pic.twitter.com/HQGzYzvJ3t
— PFF (@PFF) January 26, 2019
As seen above, Wallace was the highest-rated rookie corner while Foster was second among rookie receivers.
That is extremely impressive considering all the other corners and receivers drafted last year. I’m sure plenty of other teams would swap players they took for either Foster or Wallace.
The crazy thing is that both players emerged in the latter half of the season. Wallace only appeared in seven games and Foster only appeared in 13. Yet Wallace started all seven while Foster only had starts in three games.
Their numbers could be even better with a full season, but sometimes the added motivation of trying to earn playing time leads to elevated performance.
The goal for the team was to build through the draft. But that process also includes looking at players who went undrafted, for whatever reason. There are countless examples of undrafted players who ended up doing great in the NFL, and it appears the Bills have two players who could follow that path.