ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. took time out of his busy schedule at this time of the year to put together a pretty interesting list.
Kiper, one of the faces of the event each year, ranked his top 10 highest-graded quarterbacks ever heading into any draft. Of those 10, two were draft picks of the Buffalo Bills, while a third eventually suited up for the team.
The first appearance is Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. He came in at No. 5, but he isn’t the top-rated quarterback on Kiper’s list from his own draft class. The 1983 crew was perhaps the most touted QB draft class ever, and the Broncos’ John Elway takes the top overall spot on Kiper’s list.
Next, the signal caller Buffalo did not draft checks in: Drew Bledsoe. He was picked first overall by the Patriots in 1993. Bledsoe spent nine seasons in New England before he was traded to Buffalo prior to the 2002 season. Overall, Bledsoe was No. 7 on the rankings.
Finally, a name currently near and dear to Bills Mafia rounds out the list: quarterback Josh Allen slots in at No. 10 overall.
All things considered, the Bills’ connections here make the club look pretty smart. This list by Kiper wasn’t a “bragging” type of operation by him. He owned his misses too, as guys like Ryan Leaf, perhaps the biggest draft bust in NFL history, is No. 8 on the list.
All three QBs with links to the Bills, though? All pretty dang good in their own right,
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