We are down to our final 4 teams on this NFL Thursday miniseries, as we take on the Buffalo Bills today, with their rich history dating back to 1960 in the American Football League. Oddly enough, despite winning 2 AFL titles (1964, 1965), no one from that era is on this list—and only one player below even played in the AFL years for the franchise (yep, you know who!). Either way, most names here should be pretty familiar …

No. 10: Josh Allen, QB—92 AV (2018-present)

The team’s current starting quarterback, he was drafted No. 7 overall and has delivered 2 Pro Bowls (2020, 2022) and a 63-30 record as a starter in the regular season. He also topped the NFL in Approximate Value twice (2021, 2022). We see his 3 finishes (2020, 2022-2023) in the Top 5 MVP balloting and know how special he is. However, the Bills have suffered some bad postseason luck in recent years. No surprise there.

No. 9: Fred Smerlas, NT—100 AV (1979-1989)

He’s not in the Hall of Fame, but maybe he should be: 5 Pro Bowls (1980-1983, 1988) for a guy who was not a sack monster is pretty impressive. Alas, he toiled through a decade for the team with only 6 postseason games, even though he posted 3 sacks in those matchups. But as teams moved away from the 3-4 defense, his primary position has become an afterthought in modern thought circles. Still, he delivered well overall.

No. 8: Joe Ferguson, QB—100 AV (1973-1984)

A late third rounder, he nonetheless steered the team to 3 playoff appearances in 2 distinct eras (1974, 1980-1981). His overall record as a starter isn’t pretty (77-86), though, due to the collapse of the franchise in his final season with the Bills. Never a Pro Bowler, he still topped his peers in passing yards once (1977) and touchdowns another time (1975). Perhaps we could consider him the ultimate grinder at the position in town.

No. 7: Kyle Williams, DL—102 AV (2006-2018)

Playing 4 different positions on the defensive line showed the versatility of this fifth-round draft pick. He also reached 6 Pro Bowls along the way (2010 at NT, 2012 at RDT, 2013-2014 and 2018 at LDT, 2016 at LDE) at those same 4 different positions. Incredible, really. He compiled 48.5 sacks in his regular-season career, but sadly he only played in 1 postseason game (2017) as the Buffalo franchise fell upon hard times for a long time.

No. 6: O.J. Simpson, RB—107 AV (1969-1977)

He’s notorious, of course, and we covered his football achievements recently upon his passing. But his 1975 season (25 AV) ranks among the very best ever, even more so than his 1973 season which is legendary. Overall, the 5-season stretch from 1972 to 1976 has to rank among the most dominant in the sport’s history: 4 rushing titles, 3 scrimmage-yards crowns, 2 rushing TD championships, and 1 overall TD title. Holy moly!

No. 5: Kent Hull, C—109 AV (1986-1996)

The Top 5 guys all played in the record-setting 4 consecutive Super Bowls (1990-1993), although this player is the most unsung of them, probably, due to his positional anonymity. He made 3 straight Pro Bowls (1988-1990) and anchored the offensive line for 11 seasons—missing just 2 games total. From 1988-1991, he delivered 4 consecutive years of double-digit AV, and he started a whopping 19 playoff games in 8 Januarys.

No. 4: Andre Reed, WR—132 AV (1985-1999)

A fourth rounder, he ended up making 7 consecutive Pro Bowls (1988-1994) as part of a dynamic offense that dominated and revolutionized the sport at the time. Even though he never rose above 14 AV in any single season, he still averaged about 873 receiving yards per season with Buffalo. We view him as the third wheel in the Bills’ “Triplets” structure, but sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good, right? He was lucky.

No. 3: Jim Kelly, QB—132 AV (1986-1996)

We have to remember that like his center above, he started his professional career in the USFL before joining the Bills and dominating the league. One of the famed first-round QB picks of 1983, he made 5 Pro Bowls (1987-1988, 1990-1992) and topped the NFL in QB rating (1990) and passing TDs (1991) once each. His 110-67 record as a starter included those 4 straight Super Bowls, of course, a unique achievement, forever.

No. 2: Thurman Thomas, RB—134 AV (1988-1999)

We see him as both overrated and underrated at the same time, a contradiction to be sure. A second rounder, he topped the NFL in scrimmage yards 4 consecutive years (1989-1992), winning the NFL MVP vote in 1991—and our Super Bowl MVP nod in 1990, despite playing for the losing team. He made 5 straight Pro Bowls (1989-1993), as well, but after notching 403 touches in 1993, he was never the same player again.

No. 1: Bruce Smith, DE—201 AV (1985-1999)

The fact he is so far ahead of his offensive brethren on this list says a lot: 11 Pro Bowls (1987-1990, 1992-1998), 171 sacks, 35 forced fumbles, and even 2 interceptions. He topped the NFL in FFs twice (1994, 1996), while playing in 20 playoff games with 14.5 sacks—including the 4 straight Super Bowls (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993). Twelve times as a Bills player, he reached double-digit AV, and of course, he’s in the Hall of Fame.