With a heavy focus on the upcoming NFL Draft – and what the Bills may do – we thought it might be nice to shift gears. The NFL Draft is just as much about finding that underrated gem somewhere at the back of the draft as it is about hitting a home run in the first round.
The Bills have been contenders at various points throughout their history, and part of that has had to do with some great pass catchers.
Buffalo Bills' 3 most underrated wide receivers in franchise history
Lee Evans (2004-2010)
Ranking third on the team’s all-time receiving list may make it seem challenging to be underrated, but Evans’ name doesn’t often come up when talking about the greats of the position. Even of the drought-era rosters, Stevie Johnson tends to get a lot more love.
Evans played from 2004-2010, when the Bills cumulatively went 45-67, missing the playoffs every season. His 2006 season – 1,292 yards, eight touchdowns – is the best season by a Bills receiver in the post-Eric Moulds, pre-Stefon Diggs era.
At his height, Evans was a burner doing the most he could with quarterbacks like J.P. Losman and Trent Edwards. Bills fans often wonder what his career would have looked like with a quarterback like Jim Kelly or Josh Allen to make the most of his game.
Elbert Dubenion (1960-1968)
Is Dubenion underrated or is it just that he comes from a forgotten era? Dubenion played during the team’s AFL era, playing just two seasons in the Super Bowl era. During his time with the Bills, he got a late start (27 years old) before finding his stride as a flanker, a position that would compare to the tight end in this era.
Dubenion was solid aside from a breakout 1964 season – at 31 years old, no less – in which he caught just 42 balls but picked up 1,139 yards with a league-leading 27.1 yards per reception. Other names could have garnered consideration here, but an old-school name deserved the nod.
Peerless Price (1999-2002, 2006-2007)
A second-round pick in 1999, Price really started to come into his own in year two before enjoying one of the best seasons in franchise history in 2002. He finished with 94 catches for 1,252 and nine touchdowns, seemingly the perfect complement to Moulds.
After racking up just over 3,000 yards in his first four seasons, Price’s first Bills tenure came to an abrupt end. Seeking a new contract, he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons, who promptly signed him to a seven-year, $37.5 million contract with a $10 million signing bonus. It ended badly, with Price being cut after two years. He would spend a lost season in Dallas before returning to Buffalo for a season and a half before calling it a career.
Though his career fizzled out after he left Buffalo, it is interesting to wonder how things would have gone with he and Moulds for another season or two. Moreover, if Price doesn’t leave, the Bills don’t ever get Evans, something of an important domino effect that’s worth noting.
A Hot Topic in 2026
The Bills are loaded in the running game, as they have been historically. The receiver room is a topic of much greater conversation, and almost everyone is wondering if the team has done enough to give Allen the help he requires to take the team to the next level. This group is no doubt improved in 2026, but how much better will they be?
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