Bills Central

Only two recent draft hauls outshine Bills' 2018 Josh Allen-led class

With QB Josh Allen as the centerpiece, the Buffalo Bills assembled a 2018 draft class that has paid huge dividends.

Ralph Ventre

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) steps into this throw over the middle. Allen only threw for 169 yards but scored 2 rushing touchdowns in a 27-21 win over New England.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) steps into this throw over the middle. Allen only threw for 169 yards but scored 2 rushing touchdowns in a 27-21 win over New England. / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and
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Thirty-five years after the Buffalo Bills made a franchise-defining draft pick, they finally did it again.

Moving up to No. 7 overall to select Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills struck gold and found their field general of the future - a task they've been trying to accomplish since Jim Kelly stepped aside after the 1996 season. With Allen as the headliner, Buffalo built a 2018 draft class that will go down as arguably the best in the organization's history.

Ranking the eight best NFL draft classes from the last 10 years, Bleacher Report writer Brent Sobleski placed the Bills' 2018 haul at No. 3 overall. Only the Baltimore Ravens' 2018 group and the New Orleans Saints' 2017 class were viewed more favorably than Buffalo's masterpiece.

Allen, unquestionably the crown jewel of Buffalo's 2018 draft class, is on a Hall-of-Fans trajectory at the sport's most demanding position. The Bills, however, uncovered a lot more than an elite starting quarterback during April 2018.

Buffalo nabbed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds nine picks after Allen. He gave the Bills five years of good a service and the team netted a compensatory draft pick when he left in free agency. All-Pro nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, who remains a staple on Buffalo's defense, was drafted at No. 121 overall that year.

Fifth-round defensive back Siran Neal was a special teams ace for the Bills over his first six seasons as a pro before signing as a free agent with the New York Giants. Buffalo also selected guard Wyatt Teller in Round 5 and the Day 3 pick emerged as an All-Pro performer following a trade to the Cleveland Browns. Third-round defensive tackle Harrison Phillips has made 34 consecutive starts for the Minnesota Vikings after playing out his rookie contract with the Bills.

RELATED: Former Bills' Rival labels QB Josh Allen 'Top 3 Player'

From Bleacher Report:

"The Buffalo Bills' current core began with the 2018 NFL draft class. ... Allen alone changed everything for the Bills. But he wasn't their only major hit in the 2018 class."

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Ralph Ventre
RALPH VENTRE

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