On Thursday, barring a trade, the Bills will do something new. The Bills have not picked at No. 25 in the NFL draft before, though they did a few times during their AFL days.
It’s a mixed bag when it comes to how players selected at No. 25 have panned out. Of course, the Bills picking this low reflects a solid season, even if it that means less predictability of how a player will fare.
In the past 20 years, the most popular position at No. 25 has been cornerback, with six selected. Next, there have been three wide receivers and three linebackers picked during that span.
Six of those 20 players have been named to at least one Pro Bowl, and Santonio Holmes, the wide receiver picked by Pittsburgh in 2006, went on to become the Super Bowl XLIII MVP. Others have had much shorter careers after they were unable to find their footing in the league.
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Tim Tebow is one of the most well-known picks at No. 25, but that does not directly translate to success on the field at the NFL level. The former Heisman winner was taken by the Broncos in the 2010 draft, one of just two quarterbacks selected at 25 in the last 20 years. Tebow played 35 games in the NFL, starting 16, before pivoting to other career paths. He’s spent time as a studio analyst, a minor league baseball player, a motivational speaker and philanthropist.
The success has varied for players. Here’s a look at the selections at No. 25 the last 10 years:
- 2021: Travis Etienne, RB, Jaguars
- 2020: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers
- 2019: Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens
- 2018: Hayden Hurst, TE, Ravens
- 2017: Jabrill Peppers, S, Browns
- 2016: Artie Burns, CB, Steelers
- 2015: Shaq Thompson, LB, Panthers
- 2014: Jason Verrett*, CB, Chargers
- 2013: Xavier Rhodes*, CB, Vikings
- 2012: Dont'a Hightower*, LB, Patriots
*Pro Bowler
It’s still early to fully judge a few of the more recent picks; Etienne, in particular, missed his entire rookie season. A 2020 pick of the Jaguars – who also selected his Clemson-teammate Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick that draft – Etienne suffered a Lisfranc injury during the preseason. He had surgery, and will now get his actual NFL debut under a revamped coaching staff and roster in Jacksonville.
Aiyuk played all 17 games for the 49ers last season, starting 16. He had 56 catches for 826 yards and five touchdowns last year, third in all categories for San Francisco behind wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle.
Brown was the first wide receiver selected in the 2019 draft after Baltimore traded back from No. 22 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s coming off a 1,008-yard, 91-catch season. Brown had six touchdowns last year, and he’s had 21 in his three years with the Ravens.
The streak of defensive players taken at No. 25 in the early 2010s fared well overall. Hightower, Rhodes and Verrett each have a Pro Bowl under their belt.
Verrett peaked in his second year, but then had an injury-riddled stretch where he played just six games in four seasons. Rhodes, who played the last two season with the Colts, had a five-interception season in 2016 and was first-team All-Pro the following year. Hightower has played 117 games for the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls as a pillar of the defense.
Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson has been consistent, playing in 14 or more games in each of his seven seasons in the league.
A few players who have been selected by other teams at that spot have found their way to Buffalo. Most notable is defensive tackle Ted Washington, who played six of his 17 seasons with the Bills. Most notorious is Vontae Davis. Originally drafted by the Dolphins in 2009, the cornerback retired at halftime in the Bills’ second game of the 2018 season.
If the Bills can get good value and consistent play from their 25th pick, they'll be off to a good start.
