With the 28th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select.......we'll find out the answer to this next month but for now all we have is mock drafts and tons of trade speculation. The Bills' first-round pick is a mystery for now but let's delve into the team's history at number 28. We'll look at who they selected, but I also thought it would be fun to see who they could have picked instead.
The Bills have held the 28th pick five times throughout draft history, and I'm not so sure they will select there this season, but if they stay put, it would be the sixth time in their history picking here. However, as I said, I don't think they stay at this spot, as they are more likely to trade up or potentially back this season. Brandon Beane could surprise us all though, who knows with him?
The Bills have a history of unearthing gems in the 20s of the first round. They've drafted in this range 37 times, with three selections in 1964 alone. Standouts include Tre'Davious White, taken 27th overall, and arguably the best receiver in Bills history, Eric Moulds, drafted 24th. While the later first round offers talent, the question remains: can the Bills find an elite player at 28th this year? This year's regime differs from those responsible for past selections, but let's revisit the Bills' picks at 28, ranked by overall career impact and longevity, regardless of their tenure with Buffalo.
Buffalo Bills history of the 28th overall pick.
5. Booker Moore - Running back - 1981
Booker Moore was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 1981 NFL Draft and played only four seasons in the league from 1982 - 1985, all with the Bills. During his short-lived career, he carried the ball only 115 times and was used more as a fullback. He also totaled 75 career receptions and had two total touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Throughout his career, he ran for 420 yards and had 423 yards receiving. He started 32 games of the 51 career games he played in.
In those times, the 28th pick was the last pick of the first round. But other players selected shortly after Moore that the Bills could have landed were everyone's favorite announcer Cris Collinsworth, Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, and defensive back Eric Wright. Say what you want about Collinsworth as an announcer, but he played eight years in the league, was a three-time second-team All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, and runner-up offensive rookie of the year. These three players combined to play in seven Super Bowls, winning five of them.
4. Tom Woodeshick - Running back - 1963
While the Buffalo Bills drafted Tom Woodeshick in the 1963 AFL Draft (28th overall, 4th round), he never suited up for the eventual AFL champions. Instead, he chose to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted him in the same year with the 102nd pick in the NFL Draft. Back then, with the competition between the leagues, players frequently got selected by both the AFL and NFL. Woodeshick would go on to have a ten-year NFL career with the Eagles. In his career, he totaled 3,577 yards rushing, 21 touchdowns, and a solid 4.3 yards per carry. He earned second-team All-Pro honors twice and was voted to one Pro Bowl.
It's hard to say who the Bills could have selected at this spot in 1963 given the likelihood of whoever they selected opting to play in the NFL instead. However, one name that stood out in that 1963 AFL Draft was Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey. Mackey was selected with the 35th overall pick by the New York Jets; however, the NFL's Baltimore Colts chose him with the 19th overall pick, where he ultimately decided to play.
3. Thomas Smith - Cornerback - 1993
Spots two and three were difficult to determine, considering the two players in question here played in vastly different eras and positions. However, I decided to go with Thomas Smith here, a cornerback for the Bills drafted in 1993. Though he spent his rookie year on the Buffalo Bills' Super Bowl 28 roster, his playing time was limited. He only started one game and finished the season with just seven tackles. However, he would go on to start every game for Buffalo, until 2000 when he joined the Chicago Bears. He was also part of the Bills number one ranked defense in 1999. Smith recorded only six interceptions in his career and was never voted to any All-Pro or Pro Bowl roster.
Other players selected after Thomas Smith in that 1993 NFL Draft included Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan, and Hall of Fame offensive guard Will Shields. To be fair, Shields wasn't selected until the third round, so the entire league missed out until the Chiefs finally took him with the 74th overall pick. the Bills could have selected Shields with the 55th overall pick, but instead took defensive tackle John Parrella.
2. Eric Wood - Center - 2009
Eric Wood will forever be a fan favorite and perhaps putting him as number two on this list is a little biased, but he was a bigger part and more vital to the Bills than the previously mentioned Thomas Smith. Also, in case you are wondering, I was following this team when Smith was playing, so it's not like I never watched him play either. Wood played ten seasons with the Bills, spanning his entire career, and was a starter on the Bills line from day one. He started every game he played throughout his career, totaling 120 games. Wood was voted to one Pro Bowl in 2015.
That 2009 draft wasn't known as a deep draft; however, one player of note that the Bills could have drafted (he was later traded to Buffalo) was running back LeSean McCoy, taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round and 53rd overall. The Bills had three picks available to them before the Eagles picked at 53, which the Bills used to select Wood, safety Jairus Byrd, and another offensive lineman Andy Levitre, all three of these players went on to solid careers but imagine what could have been if the Bills would have chosen McCoy instead of Byrd. A rushing attack with McCoy in the backfield and Wood and Levitre leading the way could have been a formidable attack.
1. Paul Warfield - wide receiver - 1964
Paul Warfield is the only Hall of Famer of this group, but if you aren't familiar with him as a Bills fan, it's because he, like running back Tom Woodeshick, never suited up for the Buffalo Bills. Warfield was selected by the Bills in the 1964 AFL Draft but was also selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 11th overall pick. Warfield chose the NFL over the AFL, as most players did in those days. Warfield played 13 seasons in the NFL with the Browns and the Miami Dolphins. His career totals include 427 receptions, 8,565, and 85 touchdowns.
It's hard to say the Bills should have chosen a different player here, given that Warfield went on to have a Hall of Fame career; however, there was one name that I came across that might have been a better option for the Bills because he elected to stay in the AFL, rather than play for the NFL. At pick number 46, the Houston Oilers chose a linebacker named Dave Wilcox, who earned the nickname, "The Intimidator". He was also drafted by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, but he chose to stay in the AFL and went on to have a Hall of Fame career as well. Maybe if the Bills had selected him instead of Warfield, he would have stayed in the AFL with the Bills.