(Original Caption) Bills' Andre Reed uses his arm to get away from Jets' James Hasty after catching a pass from QB Jim Kelly in the third quarter at Giants Stadium. the Bills won 36-0 and are AFC east champs.

Is there a better time than NFL Draft season? Trade rumors, mock drafts, Mel Kiper Jr. interviews—the circus surrounding the anticipation of NFL Draft day has become the biggest sporting spectacle of the spring.

As we all know, day one is the biggest day of the NFL Draft. The first round is when all the questions on where the big-name prospects will land are answered. The futures of many teams are decided on the opening night of the draft. Day two of the draft is nearly as important as day one, as many starting-caliber, high-upside players continue to be chosen in rounds two and three.

Day three of the draft, however, is typically referred to as “depth day.” The third day of the draft features rounds 4-7 and typically these players are drafted to fill out a 53-man roster and to round out special teams. Day three draft picks’ NFL tenures normally aren’t long, but from time to time, teams find a “diamond in the rough” type of player that will go on to develop a meaningful NFL career. 

The Buffalo Bills are no strangers to finding day-three stars. Names like Andre Reed, Mike Stratton, Kyle Williams and Matt Milano headline a multitude of key contributors to the Bills over the team’s 64 years. 

I’ve compiled a list of the Bills best day-three draft picks of all time. The draft was different in the AFL days where there were anywhere from 17-30 rounds, but only eight teams. So, to keep a level playing field: when I say day three draft picks, I’m referring to the 82nd pick (average beginning of the 4th round after the NFL merger in 1970) or later. 

Alas, here are the Buffalo Bills all-time best day-three draft picks.      

Quarterbacks:

Daryle Lamonica – 24th Round (pick 188) out of Notre Dame in 1963

Nicknamed “The Fireman” because he’d come into relieve an ineffective Jack Kemp consistently, Daryle Lamonica only started four games in four seasons with the Bills. However, he was instrumental in the Bills two AFC Titles in 1964 and 1965 and was even an AFL All-Star in 1965.

James Harris – 8th Round (pick 192) out of Grambling State in 1969
Though he only started three games for the Bills in three seasons, James Harris would go on to have a 21-6 record as a starter with the Rams and was selected to the 1974 Pro Bowl.

Running Backs:

Sammy Morris – 5th Round (pick 156) out of Texas Tech in 2000
After a promising rookie season with the Bills in 2000 with eight starts and over 350 all-purpose yards, Sammy Morris’ tenure in Buffalo fizzled. However, he’d go on to have a 12-year career in the NFL with the Dolphins, Patriots and Cowboys.

Don Calhoun – 10th Round (pick 249) out of Kansas State in 1974
Don Calhoun didn’t do much with the Bills in his limited time in Buffalo but would go on to amass 4000+ all-purpose yards with the Patriots in his 10-year NFL career.

Wide Receivers:

Andre Reed – 4th Round (pick 86) out of Kutztown in 1985
You know his resume. Seven pro bowls, most receiving yards, receptions and touchdown receptions in Bills history, and a key contributor to the ‘90s Bills Super Bowl runs. Andre Reed is without a doubt the greatest day-three player drafted by Buffalo.

Bob Chandler – 7th Round (pick 160) out of USC in 1971
Bob Chandler had nearly 4000 receiving yards in 9 seasons with the run-heavy ‘70s Bills. He is still top 10 in receiving yards in Bills history.

Stevie Johnson – 7th Round (pick 224) out of Kentucky in 2008
A drought-era fan-favorite of the Bills, Stevie Johnson recorded three consecutive 1000 yard seasons with the Bills from 2010-2012.

Gabe Davis – 4th Round (pick 128) out of Central Florida in 2020
In only three seasons “Big Game Gabe” has been an important part of the Bills three consecutive AFC East titles and his divisional round playoff game versus the Chiefs (4 TDs) will go down in all-time Bills lore.

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Tight Ends:

Keith McKeller – 9th Round (pick 227) out of Jacksonville State in 1987
The Bills K-Gun offense of the early ‘90s was named after Keith McKeller who made the explosive no-huddle attack possible with his ability to block and pass catch efficiently on different no-huddle plays.

Jay Riemersma – 7th Round (pick 224) out of Michigan in 1996
Jay Riemersma was a go-to target for post-Jim Kelly quarterbacks of the Bills, from Todd Collins to Doug Flutie.

Offensive Line:

Howard Ballard, Tackle – 11th Round (pick 293) out of Alabama A&M in 1987
“The House,” Howard Ballard was a trusted right tackle who started 80 consecutive games for the Bills during their Super Bowl years from 1989-1993. He was a pro bowler in 1992 and 1993.

Joe O’Donnell, Guard – 13th Round (pick 101) out of Michigan in 1964
An AFL All-Star in 1965, Joe O’Donnell would go on to start 63 games for the Bills in 7 seasons.

Corbin Lacina, Guard – 6th Round (pick 167) out of Augustana in 1993
A 10-year NFL veteran, Corbin Lacina startedn28 games over four seasons with the Bills and continued his career with the Vikings, Panthers and Bears where he started a total of 52 games.

Will Grant, Center – 10th Round (pick 255) out of Kentucky in 1978
The anchor behind two early-’80s Bills playoff teams, Will Grant started 89 games for Buffalo over 9 seasons.

Defensive Tackles:

Tom Sestak – 17th Round (pick 132) out of McNeese State in 1962
A three-time First Team All-Pro and four-time AFL All-Star, Tom Sestek was an integral part of a defense that led the Bills to the playoffs from 1963-1966 and won two AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965. Sestak led the AFL in sacks in 1964.

Kyle Williams – 5th Round (pick 134) out of LSU in 2006
Probably the most recognized and beloved Bill during the drought years, Kyle Williams was a constant force on the Bills defensive front for 13 years. A six-time pro bowler, Williams ranked sixth all-time in Bills sacks and tackles at the time of his retirement.

Leon Seals – 4th Round (pick 109) out of Jackson State in 1987
Leon Seals started 38 games for the Bills from 1987-1991. He also started at defensive end in Super Bowls XXV and XXVI.

Jeff Wright – 8th Round (pick 213) out of Central Missouri State in 1988
Another important piece of the Bills Super Bowl run in the 1990s, Jeff Wright started 67 games in seven seasons in Buffalo.

Linebackers:

Matt Milano – 5th Round (pick 163) out of Boston College in 2017
Matt Milano finally received credit for being one of the premier linebackers in the NFL in 2022 by receiving his first First-Team All-Pro nod. He has been a steady force in the Bills current playoff run over the past several years.

Mike Stratton -13th Round (pick 100) out of San Diego in 1962
One of the Bills greatest stars of the AFL days, Mike Stratton was selected as an AFL All-Star six straight seasons. Stratton, Harry Jacobs and John Tracey were perhaps one of the greatest linebacking groups of all-time, playing together for 62 consecutive games from 1963-1967 and holding opponents’ running backs to under 100 yards for 17 consecutive games (when teams relied on the run game more than they do now). Stratton had the “hit heard ‘round the world” in the 1964 AFL Championship—a play that broke Chargers running back Keith Lincoln’s ribs and knocked him out of the game. The Chargers would not score again and the Bills won the championship 20-7.

Marvcus Patton – 8th Round (pick 208) out of UCLA in 1990
Marvcus Patton started every game for the Bills in 1993 and 1994 including a start in Super Bowl XXVIII. After leaving the Bills in 1995, he’d go on to start every game except for two over the following eight seasons for the Redskins and Chiefs.

Lucious Sanford – 4th Round (pick 89) out of Georgia Tech in 1978

Lucious Sanford started 106 games for the Bills over 9 seasons in Buffalo including 3 playoff starts in 1980 and 1981. Sanford also made key contributions on special teams, blocking two field goals as a rookie in 1978 and returning two blocked punts for touchdowns over his Bills tenure.

Cornberbacks:

Terrence McGee – 4th Round (pick 111) out of Northwestern State in 2003
Another Bills fan favorite during the “drought” years, Terrence McGee was a solid cornerback, but an even more electrifying kick returner, bringing back three touchdowns in 2004 and five over his seven-year career. McGee also started 90 games at cornerback over his time in Buffalo, intercepting 17 passes and leading the league in pass deflections in 2007.

Charles Romes – 12th Round (pick 309) out of North Carolina Central in 1977
With the 309th overall pick in the 1977 NFL draft, the Bills found incredible value in Charles Romes, who started every game for Buffalo from 1978-1986—137 in total. He’d also record at least one interception every season from 1978 to 1986 and his 28 career interceptions rank fourth in team history.

Taron Johnson – 4th Round (pick 121) out of Weber State in 2018
Taron Johnson has excelled in the slot corner position for the Bills, so much so that Buffalo’s base defense now features Johnson in the slot. Oh yeah—and he had perhaps the most memorable play in Bills playoff history returning an interception 101 yards for a touchdown, cementing a victory for the Bills and helping them advance to the AFC Championship game after the 2020 regular season.  

Safeties

Kurt Schulz – 7th Round (pick 195) out of Eastern Michigan in 1992
Kurt Schulz was a starting safety for the Bills for five seasons from 1995-1999, which saw him log 21 interceptions—14th in franchise history.

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