The Buffalo Bills have recently added respectable talent to their wide receiver position. But Buffalo has consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in passing since 2010. Their passing yards league rankings since 2010 are 24th, 15th, 25th, 28th, 18th, 28th, 30th, 31st, 31st, and 26th. Throughout franchise history however, Buffalo has employed receivers who left their mark on the franchise and the league. Below are the top 10 Buffalo Bills wide receivers of all-time. Each player performed exceptionally well for the organization and deserve to be recognized on this list.
Buffalo Bills Wide Receivers: Top 10 of All-Time
10 Robert Woods
The Bills drafted Robert Woods in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Woods never cracked the 1,000 yard mark in Buffalo but was always a reliable target. Woods’ best season in Buffalo came in 2014 where he hauled in a then career-high 65 receptions for 699 yards and five touchdowns. In 2014, Woods helped the Bills reach the 9-7 record mark to claim their best regular season record since 2004. In 2017, Woods signed a five-year $34 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams. In his first three seasons with the Rams Woods has already matched his production in Buffalo. Woods was ascending at the time the Bills moved on from him. He could have been a true staple on their offense had Buffalo chosen to re-sign him.
Robert Woods’ four-year career in Buffalo: 57 games, 203 receptions, 2,451 yards and 12 touchdowns.
9 Sammy Watkins
The Bills traded two first-round picks to move up from nine to four in the 2014 NFL Draft, which was deep at the wide receiver position so they could select Sammy Watkins. This draft produced Mike Evans, Brandin Cooks, and Odell Beckham Jr. at wide receiver. To further illustrate the talent at receiver in this draft class, Jarvis Landry and Davante Adams were drafted in the second round. Watkins was an exceptional talent in Buffalo when healthy. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career with the Bills and new management ultimately decided to go in a different direction. The Bills traded Watkins to the Rams in 2017 in exchange for cornerback E.J Gaines and a 2018 second-round draft pick.
Sammy Watkins’ three-year career in Buffalo: 153 receptions, 2,459 yards, and 17 touchdowns.
8 Josh Reed
Josh Reed is the fourth all-time in receptions in Bills history at wide receiver. He spent his entire eight year career in Buffalo before being signed by the San Diego Chargers and released prior to the start of the 2010 season. His most impressive statistics come at the college level where he currently holds the SEC record for receiving yards in a game (283). Reed also won the Biletnikoff Award as the best wide receiver in college football in 2001.
Josh Reed’s eight-year career in Buffalo: 311 receptions, 3,575 yards and 10 touchdowns.
7 Peerless Price
Peerless Price, the fifth wide receiver selected in the 1999 NFL Draft, is eighth all-time in touchdown receptions with 25 in Bills history. Price played two stints in Buffalo from 1999-2002 and 2006-2007. He also had success with the Atlanta Falcons in 2003 and 2004 when he caught a total of 51 passes for 1,413 yards and six touchdowns.
Peerless Price’s six-year career in Buffalo: 288 receptions, 3,772 yards and 25 touchdowns.
6 James Lofton
James Lofton is one of the few Hall of Famers on this list, but most of his production came as a member of the Green Bay Packers where he caught 49 touchdown passes. In Buffalo however, Lofton was key in helping the Bills reach the Super Bowl in 1991 and 1992. Lofton makes the cut as he ranks 10th all-time in Bills franchise history at wide receiver with 21 touchdown receptions.
James Lofton’s four-year career in Buffalo: 151 receptions, 2,736 yards and 21 touchdowns.
5 Elbert “Golden Wheels” Dubenion
Elbert Dubenion was drafted in 1959 in the 14th round by the Cleveland Browns and released prior to the start of his rookie season. Dubenion was 26 years-old when he was drafted which hurt his stock as a prospect. But in 1964 Dubenion hauled in 42 receptions for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns and earned First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl Honors.
Elbert Dubenion’s nine-year NFL career in Buffalo: 294 receptions, 5,294 yards and 35 touchdowns.
4 Steve “Stevie” Johnson
A seventh-round draft pick of the Bills in 2008, Steve Johnson was the steal of the draft. In his first two seasons Johnson caught 12 passes for two touchdowns. From 2010-2012 however, Johnson recorded three-consecutive 1,000 yard seasons for Buffalo, and is the only Bills receiver to ever accomplish that feat. He never made a Pro Bowl during his career but still ranks among the best Bills receivers of all-time.
Stevie Johnson’s six-year career in Buffalo: 301 receptions, 3,832 yards and 28 TDs.
3 Lee Evans
In 2004 Lee Evans became the first Bills wide receiver drafted in the first round since Eric Moulds. Evans was a true deep threat for Buffalo and he hauled in nine touchdowns in his rookie season. In 2006, his most impressive and productive season in the NFL, Evans caught 82 passes for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns. He played in every game his first six years with the team before being traded in 2011 for a fourth-round draft pick. Evans infamously dropped the game winning touchdown pass against the New England Patriots that would have sent the Baltimore Ravens to Super Bowl XLIV. He never scored a touchdown in Baltimore.
Lee Evans’ seven-year career in Buffalo: 377 receptions, 5, 934 yards and 43 touchdowns.
2 Eric Moulds
Second all-time in receiving yards in Bills history among wide receivers, Moulds spent 10 season in Buffalo and was a two-time All-Pro selection (1998 and 2002). Moulds was also voted to three Pro Bowls and was the first Bills receiver to catch 100 passes in a single season (2002). In 2006, Moulds was traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for their fifth-round pick which Buffalo used to select defensive tackle Kyle Williams.
Moulds’ 10-year career in Buffalo: 764 receptions, 9,096 yards and 48 touchdowns.
1 Andre Reed
Easily the greatest Bills receiver of all-time and one of the most recognizable players in franchise history, Andre Reed helped the Bills reach an unprecedented four-consecutive Super Bowls as their number one receiver. Reed logged career post-season numbers of 85 receptions, 1,229 yards and nine touchdowns. Reed was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Andre Reed’s 15-year career in Buffalo: 941 receptions, 13,095 yards and 86 touchdowns.
These receivers all made their mark in Buffalo in different ways, but they all deserve to be on this list.
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