Brandon Beane has been criticized for his misses in the early rounds of the NFL Draft, but he's hit on some mid to late-round prospects. Guys like Dane Jackson and Levi Wallace come to mind, as well as 2022 rookies Terrel Bernard and Christian Benford. Buffalo has 10 picks in this year's draft and needs a couple to provide an immediate impact. The Bills will be looking to build some roster depth and it starts with the 28th overall pick.
The draft is always a crap shoot though but fans expect more. Last year the Bills did well with their early-round picks adding a record-setting rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid and a solid guard in O'Cyrus Torrence. Many expect the Bills to grab another weapon in the first round for Josh Allen in the form of a wide receiver, but they could go in another direction, such as edge. My guess is the pick will be one of these two positions, but can they grab a draft steal with the later-round picks?
Eight of their ten picks are from rounds four through seven. There is a good chance at least one of these become a draft steal, but will Beane's track record, don't be shocked if he finds a couple of hidden gems this year. We can go back to the early days of the Bills franchise and find some diamonds in the rough too, such as linebacker Mike Stratton, who had an outstanding 12-year career, 11 of them with the Bills. There is also corner Charles Rome, who was the 309th overall pick and went on to an 11-year career and is ranked fourth in Bills history with 28 interceptions.
The Bills also found greats in offensive tackle Howard Ballard and defensive tackle Kyle Williams. Both of these were difficult to leave off at this least, but after you see the top five, you may understand. But then again, maybe you won't. It'll be fun watching Christian Benford and Khalil Shakir's careers, they were sixth and fifth-round picks respectively, who could become huge draft steals when it's all said and done. Let's get into the top five greatest NFL draft steals in Bills' history.
Buffalo Bills greatest draft steals
Stevie Johnson, wide receiver
Stevie Johnson is one of the all-time favorite Bills players among many fans, myself included. During those drought years, there wasn't much to get excited about, except Johnson. He was fun to watch and had a four-year stretch in Buffalo that ranks up there with some of the Bills greats. From 2010 through 2013, he recorded 289 receptions, 3,720 receiving yards, and 26 touchdowns, including three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Johnson was drafted in the seventh round with the 224th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. He would eventually leave Buffalo and spent a season with the San Francisco 49ers and a season with the San Diego Chargers. In his six years in Buffalo, he had 381 receptions, 3,832 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns. It was a short-lived career, but he left a lasting impression on Bills fans, and maybe one day, the name Stevie Johnson will hang on the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.
Matt Milano, linebacker
Another fan favorite, Matt Milano has put himself on the Mount Rushmore of fan favorites. He was the 163rd overall selection of the 2017 NFL Draft, going in the fifth round. Milano has been incredibly loyal to Buffalo too, excepting less money to remain with the Bills. Bills fans adore him for his selflessness and the classic underdog tale – a late-round draft pick who defied expectations to become an All-Pro linebacker.
In 2022, Milano was voted first-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl squad, after an outstanding season. He recorded three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and had 99 combined tackles. He also added 1.5 sacks and 11 passes defensed. Unfortunately, his 2923 season was cut short after just five games due to injury, which has been a bit of an issue for Milano. Barring injuries, his stellar play could enshrine him among the Bills' linebacker greats.
3. Taron Johnson, nickel cornerback
All Taron Johnson has done in his six-year career is go from the 121st overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft to the best and highest-paid nickel corner in the NFL. He is one of the most important pieces of the Bills' defense and has been for several years now. He would have been higher on this list if had more seasons played. But he's young and still has a lot of game left in him. Last season, in 2023, he earned his first career All-Pro, as a second-team member.
He's not a big interception guy, but his combination of coverage and run defense is unmatched. In 2023, he started all 17 games, recording eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles, a sack, and 98 combined tackles. Not many corners, outside or nickel, are the tackling machine that Johnson is. In his six years, he has totaled 450 combined tackles. And who could forget the 2020 playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens? Johnson's 101-yard pick-six against Lamar Jackson is one of the greatest plays in the Bills' history, and maybe in the NFL.
Tom Sestak, defensive tackle
Tom Sestak was the Aaron Donald of the AFL, dominating offensive lines from the moment he entered the league in 1962 until his retirement after the 1968 season. He was selected by the Bills with 132nd overall pick, but was also selected by the Detroit Lions of the NFL with the 220th pick. He chose to play in the AFL with the Bills and became a key part of the Bills AFL championships in 1964 and 1965. The one thing likely keeping him out of the NFL Hall of Fame is he played a relatively short career that spanned only seven seasons.
During those seven seasons, he tortured opposing offenses. He came in third in Rookie of the Year voting, was voted to four Pro Bowls (back when Pro Bowls meant something), and four All-Pro teams, including three first-teams. In 1965, he came in fifth in the AFL Player of the Year voting. During those days, sacks were not an official stat; however, according to Pro-footballreference.com, he recorded an unofficial career sack total of 52, including 15.5 in 1964. He is a Bills Wall of Fame member and was voted to the Silver Anniversary Team in 1984.
Andre Reed, wide receiver
Andre Reed is the only Hall of Famer on this list, and as a fourth-round (86th overall) pick from Kutztown, Pennsylvania, that's impressive. Reed is arguably the greatest receiver in Bills history and has all the stats to back it up too. He was a member of the 1985 draft class, a class that produced two Hall of Famers for the Bills, the other being Bruce Smith. Reed is an integral part of the Bills Super Bowl years. He remained with the Bills for 15 years, finishing a 16th year in Washington before retiring.
Reed has 951 career receptions, which ranks him 18th on the all-time list. Reed was only second to Jerry Rice in receptions at one point in history, until the league decided they wanted to get pass-happy. Every player that ranks ahead of Reed now, completed their careers well after Reed. Only Jerry Rice, Tim Brown and Cris Carter retired within four years or less of Reed. His 13,198 yards and 87 receiving touchdowns, both rank 18th all-time.