The NFL Draft is less than a month away and it’s a time where teams in the league can find ways to bring in talent on inexpensive deals for the next four years. The Buffalo Bills under Brandon Beane have done a solid job considering the fact that the Bills have built themselves up into a Super Bowl contender.
Since the end of the 2020 season, the Bills have always picked in the late 20s or early 30s. They have traded up, as well as traded back (even if it’s twice in the same round.
Before this regime took over in 2017, it wasn’t always a pretty sight for Bills fans when it came to the draft. Buffalo was always picking early in the first round and even though they would go on to draft some big names, there wasn’t big production. There is one draft pick that stands out as being one of, if not the worst first-round pick for the Bills this century and that is edge rusher Aaron Maybin.
Aaron Maybin was a huge bust for Buffalo Bills
Drafted 11th overall in 2019 out of Penn State, Maybin came to Buffalo with fans hoping that he would be a fantastic pass rusher that the Bills could utilize for the future. Instead, his horrific tenure last just two seasons and he only started in one game. Maybin even failed to record even one sack as a Bill.
After being released by the Bills in 2011, he would be picked up by the Jets and spend just two years with them. Granted, he had a better tenure in New York but it wasn’t much. Maybe would play in just four seasons in the NFL despite being a first round pick.
Top Patriots draft target is being compared to Aaron Maybin
Chris Trapasso from CBS Sports created a list of the NFL’s top incoming prospects and decided to compare them to infamous first-round busts in case things don’t work out. Maybin’s name came up on this list and Trapasso compared Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, who has the potential to be the best prospect in this draft, to Maybin.
"Maybin never recorded a sack in two seasons in Buffalo and finished with six in his four-year NFL career. A development of counter moves will be vital for Carter, regardless of how naturally talented he is. They never materialized with Maybin. "Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
It’s a little ironic that they are both from Penn State, and could easily play in the same division. Carter is a little bit more NFL-ready than Maybin. At the same time, we see top prospects go from having a high ceiling, to becoming a bust in a short amount of time.
With the Patriots sitting at the No. 4 pick, they will have a great chance at drafting Carter if the Titans, Browns, and Giants pass on him. If Carter does indeed go to New England and can’t produce the way that most people think he can, it’s going to make Bills fans laugh for a long time.