With the 2011 NFL Draft quickly approaching, we thought it'd be a good idea to run down the Buffalo Bills' ten biggest draft successes and failures. I decided at the last minute to make this an "of my lifetime" series, meaning that the only busts and gems that you'll see listed here every day were picked in 1985 or after.
Nate Odomes was the first pick in the second round of the 1987 NFL Draft - a 5'9", 188-pound prospect out of Wisconsin that was one of two cornerbacks the Bills added within five picks of each other (the other being Roland Mitchell). He was quickly inserted into the starting lineup for a 7-8 Bills team - the only losing Bills team he'd ever play for - and by the time his Bills career came to an end after seven years, he'd emerged as one of the league's best defensive playmakers.
Odomes picked off five or more passes in four separate seasons with Buffalo, including a league-high nine in 1993, his final season with the Bills. His 26 interceptions with the Bills ranks as the fifth-highest total in team history, and he added three sacks, nine forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries and two touchdowns to his impressive resume.
Unfortunately, Odomes' career came to a premature end after leaving Buffalo as an unrestricted free agent. An off-field knee injury cut his career with the Atlanta Falcons short, and a subsequent comeback bid with the Seattle Seahawks failed, as well.
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