The Buffalo Bills lack a first-round pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. The club traded their selection as part of a package of picks in exchange for wide receiver Stefon Diggs. It’s not the first time that’s happened.
This is the sixth time in Buffalo’s history that they will not have a scheduled first-round selection. The other five times? Well, the team has found efficient players with their first pick in the draft, even if it didn’t occur in the first round.
Here is Buffalo’s draft history when they have not participated in the first round of an NFL Draft:
1988: Thurman Thomas
The origins of this pick started seven months earlier. The Bills were a part of one of the biggest blockbuster deals in NFL history. There were many moving pieces in this trade. The three-team trade involved the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, and the Bills. Rams superstar running back Eric Dickerson was not impressed with Los Angeles’ contract discussion, and he was ultimately put on the market. During the same time frame, Cornelius Bennett, the No.2 overall pick in the 1987 draft, could not agree to a deal with the Colts.
In the end, Buffalo dealt two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and Greg Bell to acquire the rights of Bennett. Dickerson ended up in Indianapolis, and the Rams earned a slew of draft picks and Bell.
The pick:
Buffalo’s second-round pick ended up being one of the best players in team history. The Bills, with the 40th overall selection, chose Oklahoma State running back Thurman Thomas. The 2007 Hall of Famer was an integral part of the Bills Super Bowl run and the most successful time in the team’s history.
Thomas was a two-time All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowl nominee, and led the league in yards from scrimmage four times. He won the league’s MVP award in 1991. Thomas is the team’s all-time rushing leader with 11,938 yards on the ground and 65 rushing touchdowns.