Bills Sitting in Draft Position That Hasn't Been Very Lucky
The No. 25 position in the first round of the NFL Draft, which the Buffalo Bills own this year, hasn't been particularly lucky for teams in this millenium.
There have been some good players selected there since the turn of the century, but few that turned out to be bona fide difference makers.
The best of the bunch? Cornerbacks Vontae Davis, Xavier Rhodes and Mike Jenkins, wide receivers Santonio Holmes, Brandon Aiyuk and Marquise Brown and linebackers Jon Beason and Dont'a Hightower.
The worst of the bunch? Probably defensive tackle William Joseph, cornerback Ahmad Carroll and wide receiver Freddie Mitchell.
The vast expanse in between is awash in a sea of mediocrity. There are non-household names like tight end Hayden Hurst and safety Jabrill Peppers, who each are on their third teams already after being drafted in 2018 and 2017, respectively. There's cornerback Artie Burns, the 2016 pick, who's also on his third team. And there's defensive end Charles Grant (2002).
Other players picked in that spot who never lived up to expectations include quarterbacks Jason Campbell and Tim Tebow and tackle James Carpenter.
Linebacker Shaq Thompson, drafted by the Carolina Panthers when Bills general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott were there, has played well at times but hasn't made a Pro Bowl and has only been able to play every game in a season once.
Cornerback Jason Verrett, who was drafted by the Chargers in 2014 and later played for the 49ers, experienced some success, but his career has been more or less defined by injuries.
Even some of the best players picked at No. 25 fell short of expectations.
Holmes, taken by Pittsburgh in 2006, might be the most interesting case. He would go on to lead the league in yards per reception (18.1) in 2007 and become the Super Bowl MVP when the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals to cap the following season. He finished with a solid career, though it fell short of what's normally expected for a first-round choice.
In addition to their sub-par performances in the NFL, Joseph and Mitchell proved to be worse off the gridiron. Each served prison time for felonies after their forgettable football careers.
In conclusion, No. 25 hasn't been a very good spot over the last two decades.
The good news for Bills fans is that Beane could move out of the spot, especially because he admitted last week that the Bills don't have enough first-round grades on their board to cover the top 32 picks.
"If it's getting close to our pick and I go, `man I don't think we're going to have any [players with first-round grades left at No. 25],' I'll try and move back if I can," he said.
On the other hand, if there's a player they really like who's still on the board a few picks ahead of them, Beane wouldn't hesitate to trade up and eliminate the risk of him disappearing before No. 25.
"If the numbers are getting thin, I'm going to be looking both ways to see which is the best solution for us," Beane said.
No. 25 overall picks since 2000
2021: RB Travis Etienne, Clemson (Jacksonville)
2020: WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State (San Francisco)
2019: WR Marquise Brown, Oklahoma (Baltimore)
2018: TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina (Baltimore)
2017: S Jabrill Peppers, Michigan (Cleveland)
2016: CB Artie Burns, Miami (Pittsburgh)
2015: LB Shaq Thompson, Washington (Carolina)
2014: DB Jason Verrett, TCU (San Diego)
2013: CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State (Minnesota)
2012: LB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama (New England)
2011: T James Carpenter, Alabama (Seattle)
2010: QB Tim Tebow, Florida (Denver)
2009: CB Vontae Davis, Illinois (Miami)
2008: CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida (Dallas)
2007: LB Jon Beason, Miami (Carolina)
2006: WR Santonio Holmes, Ohio State (Pittsburgh)
2005: QB Jason Campbell, Auburn (Washington)
2004: CB Ahmad Carroll, Arkansas (Green Bay)
2003: DT William Joseph, Miami (NY Giants)
2002: DE Charles Grant, Georgia (New Orleans)
2001: WR Freddie Mitchell, UCLA (Philadelphia)
2000 DT Chris Hovan, Boston College (Minnesota)
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Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
