2015 draft class:
| Round/Pick | Name | Pos | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/50 | Ronald Darby | CB | Florida St |
| 3/81 | John Miller | G | Louisville |
| 5/155 | Karlos Williams | RB | Florida St |
| 6/188 | Tony Steward | OLB | Clemson |
| 6/194 | Nick O'Leary | TE | Florida St |
| 7/234 | Dez Lewis | WR | Central Arkansas |
2015 starters: Ronald Darby (9 starts), John Miller (9), Karlos Williams (1)
On the cusp: Williams might only have one start this season but he quickly became a hot name on the fantasy circuit when LeSean McCoy was hampered by an early-season hamstring injury. Williams averaged 7.75 yards on 24 carries through the first three games, the highest average among qualified NFL running backs. After missing a month because of a concussion, Williams returned Nov. 8 against the Miami Dolphins and ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, which came even with McCoy topping 100 yards rushing of his own.
Undrafted free agents they like: The only undrafted rookie to crack the Bills' 53-man roster and stick through the first half of the season was linebacker A.J. Tarpley, a Stanford product who impressed coaches throughout the spring and summer. In truth, he might have been a more likely practice squad candidate had top reserve linebacker Ty Powell not suffered a torn ACL in training camp, but nonetheless, Tarpley has made the most of his opportunity. He was active for each of the first eight games of the season, a sign that he is ahead of sixth-round rookie Tony Steward on the Bills' linebacker depth chart.
My take on class: The Bills have scored one of the NFL's best drafts even without having a first-round pick. Second-round pick Ronald Darby has started every game at cornerback and ranks third at his position by Pro Football Focus through nine games. PFF also selected Darby as their midseason rookie of the year. Miller has started for the Bills at right guard but was the NFL's second-worst rated guard at the halfway point by PFF. At this point, it appears the Bills are keeping Miller in the lineup in hopes that he develops. Williams, the fifth-round pick, has made Bills fans mostly forget about Fred Jackson. He's been fantastic.
Mel Kiper's take on class: Darby might already be the best cornerback on this team on a play-for-play basis, so that's already a total steal. Williams is a good one when he gets the reps, and Miller has been plugged in at guard. But you have to hope that Miller goes from a capable guard to an upper-echelon one.