The NFL draft is quickly approaching and through the years it has been mostly about the studs at the top. Sometimes, however, even those players do not have success in the league. But there are also a number of players who were taken in late rounds who turned out to have auspicious careers. The Buffalo Bills have their share of late-round draft picks who some would consider draft gems. Below are the best players drafted by the Bills in the fourth round or later since the year 2000.
Bills Best Late Round Draft Gems of the 2000s
2000: Sammy Morris III, Running Back
Sammy Morris was drafted in the fifth round (156th overall) by the Bills. Though he played running back, Morris was most valuable throughout his career on special teams, specifically the team-leading 16 tackles in 2002. Morris also played with the New England Patriots, the Miami Dolphins, and the Dallas Cowboys. He outperformed many critics’ projections by latching on to teams and producing on both offense and special teams.
Career Stats: 736 rush attempts, 3,053 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Memorable moment: On October 23, 2000, Morris leaped over New York Jets defenders to score his fourth rushing touchdown of his rookie season.
2003: Terrence McGee, Cornerback/Returner
Terrance McGee was drafted in the fourth round by Buffalo (111th overall) and is known to Bills fans as an electric return-man. He played cornerback, but it was not until the departure of Antoine Winfield that McGee manned the starting cornerback role opposite Nate Clements. In 2004, McGee helped the Bills lead the league in most kickoff return touchdowns (six) by returning three touchdowns of his own, a record that stands today. He currently holds the Bills franchise records for most career kick return yards (5,450), most career return touchdowns (five), longest kick return touchdown (104), most career fumble return yards (106) and most passes defended (99). Terrance McGee was a diamond in the rough for the Bills and one of the most notable late-round picks of the franchise.
Career Stats: 122 games, 521 tackles, 17 interceptions and one touchdown.
207 kick returns, 5,450 yards and five touchdowns.
Memorable moment: Week 5, October 8th, 2007: McGee returned a kickoff 103 yards against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The Bills lost this game 25-24 despite Tony Romo’s five interceptions.
2006: Kyle Williams, Defensive Tackle
Kyle Williams was drafted in the fifth round, 134th overall. As an undersized interior lineman, Williams spent his entire 13-year career in Buffalo as a staple on a franchise with the longest playoff drought in professional sports history (17 years). He finally played in his first playoff game in 2017 when the Bills finished 9-7 and qualified for the playoffs as the sixth seed in the AFC. Williams made three All-Pro teams throughout his career and was selected to six Pro Bowls, including three-consecutive appearances from 2012-2014. Kyle Williams is remembered for his leadership, relentless physical play, and for having a 100 percent reception rate. Williams retired after the 2018 season.
Career Stats: 183 games, 48.5 sacks, 609 tackles and one interception.
Memorable moment: Williams caught his only career interception in the 2014 season opener against the Chicago Bears.
2008: Steve Johnson, Wide Receiver
Steve Johnson was selected in the seventh round, 224th overall, out of the University of Kentucky. He went on to have a successful NFL career that included three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Johnson scored 28 touchdowns in Buffalo and ranks near the top of the best Buffalo Bills wide receivers of all-time.
Career Stats: 99 games, 381 receptions, 4,764 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Memorable moment: On November 21st, 2010 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Steve Johnson caught eight passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns to help the Bills overcome a 21-point deficit and defeat the Bengals 49-31.
2010: Arthur Moats, Outside Linebacker
Arthur Moats was drafted in the sixth round, 178th overall, out of James Madison University. Moats had an injury-ridden career during his time in Buffalo but still made an impact off the field. He was the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee for both the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013 and 2016, respectively. Moats signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 but missed the entire season due to an MCL injury and retired after the 2018 season.
Career Stats: 121 games, 228 tackles and 16.5 sacks.
Memorable moment: Arthur Moats is most remembered for hitting Brett Favre and ultimately ending the quarterback’s 297 consecutive career start streak which lasted from 1992 until 2010.
2011: Da’Norris Searcy, Defensive Back
Da’Norris Searcy was the fourth safety selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was taken 100th overall out of the University of North Carolina. Searcy went into camp each year competing for a starting role on defense. He ultimately beat the odds and had a successful career in Buffalo. He left the Bills and signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2015.
Career Stats: 109 games, 335 tackles, four and a half sacks, eight interceptions and two touchdowns.
Memorable moment: On November 17th, 2013, Searcy intercepted a pass from Jets quarterback Geno Smith and returned the interception for a touchdown. The Bills won this game 37-14 to improve to 4-7 on the season.
2012: Nigel Bradham, Outside Linebacker
Nigel Bradham was drafted in the fourth round, 105th overall, out of Florida State in 2012. In 2014, he was second on the team with 104 tackles behind Preston Brown and helped the Bills rank third in the league in total defense. Bradham left the Bills in 2016 and was reunited with Jim Schwartz with the Philadelphia Eagles, who he played under in 2014. Bradham and the Eagles won Super Bowl LII and in March 2018, Bradham signed a five-year, $40 million deal with the Eagles. He is currently a free agent.
Career Stats: 115 games, 619 tackles, eight and a half sacks, three interceptions and five forced fumbles.
Memorable moment: On Thursday September 26th, 2019, Nigel Bradham intercepted Aaron Rodgers on the goal line to seal the win for the Eagles and improve to 2-2 on the season.
2015: Karlos Williams, Running Back
Karlos Williams was drafted in the fifth round, 155th overall, out of Florida State. He scored touchdowns in his first six games, but he ultimately failed to stick around long term. Williams was a dynamic running back at his size and speed and his future was bright. The way he could evade defenders and run through contact was a sight to behold. He was released from the team prior to a preseason game against the New York Giants in 2016. Williams never played another down in the NFL but is currently signed to the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.
Career Stats: 93 rushing attempts, 517 yards, nine total touchdowns.
Memorable moment: Williams’ biggest game of his career came against the Miami Dolphins on November 8th, 2015. He carried the ball nine times for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
2017: Matt Milano, Outside Linebacker
Matt Milano was selected 163rd overall in the fifth round out of Boston College. He was drafted primarily to help on special teams and spell Ramon Humber at linebacker when needed. However, in 2017 Milano was on the field for 41 percent of the Bills defensive snaps, making a total of 49 tackles, seven for loss, one fumble recovery and one interception. He had a very productive rookie season for where he was drafted, and his career is still ascending. Milano has been a valuable contributor to the Bills top-ranked defense since he came into the league and has quickly become one of the best cover linebackers in the NFL.
Career Stats: 44 games, 228 tackles, two and a half sacks and four interceptions.
Memorable moment: On October 29th, 2017 against the Oakland Raiders, Milano recovered a fumble and returned it 40 yards for the score to give the Bills a 14-7 lead before halftime. The Bills went on to win this game after a strong defensive performance to improve to 5-2 on the season.
2018: Siran Neal, Defensive Back
Siran Neal was drafted in the fifth round, 154th overall, out of Jacksonville State. He has spent most of his career in Buffalo contributing on special teams. However, Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier like to use Neal as an extra safety in their big-nickel package. Neal still has a ways to go in his career, but he has been a valuable contributor to the defense over the past two seasons.
Career Stats: 31 games, 38 tackles and one sack.
Memorable moment: On September 30th, 2018, Neal sacked Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to register his lone career sack to date.
It may be too soon to choose the best late-round draft pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, but there are two players selected in the draft that have already made their marks in Buffalo. Darryl Johnson, a seventh-round selection (225th overall) at defensive end out of North Carolina A&T produced one sack and 15 tackles in limited action in 2019. Tommy Sweeney was taken three spots after Johnson out of Boston College to play tight end for the Bills; he caught eight passes for 114 yards in 2019. He is currently behind Tyler Kroft, Dawson Knox and Jason Croom on the Bills depth chart, but certainly has a future in the NFL.
All of these draft picks chosen in the fourth round or later have been solid contributors in the NFL despite their pre-draft projections. These players can definitely be considered the Bills gems of the draft.
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