Since the turn of the century, the Buffalo Bills have been abysmal at finding first-round picks who can stay on the 53-man roster and perform like a true first-round selection. Names like Mike Williams and Aaron Maybin are almost like nails on a chalkboard to Bills fans.

A draft is a time in which fans should be excited for what’s to come, not nervous about whether or not the high picks will pan out. Buffalo’s draft has no doubt hindered the storied franchise at times as the team often reached for selections while other studs awaited their name to be called.

With the more recent turnover of Bills brass in 2017, it’s yet to be seen whether or not the competency of a successful front office exists in Western New York. General manager Brandon Beane wasn’t apart of the draft room in Buffalo last April and many still believe head coach Sean McDermott called the shots as Doug Whaley was aptly shown the door afterward.

The 2018 NFL draft will show fans and the league where Brandon Beane stands in his philosophy but first, let’s take a look back and rank the Bills’ last five first-round picks.

No. 5 – QB E.J. Manuel

When Buffalo decided to select quarterback E.J. Manuel from Florida State, they did so in one of the worst quarterback drafts in modern football. Rather than biting the bullet and waiting for next after’s crop of talent, Buddy Nix and Doug Whaley took it upon themselves to make Manuel the first quarterback off the board in 2013.

For Manuel, he started with hope. A last second win against the Carolina Panthers early in the season gave fans an optimistic outlook that quickly eroded in the coming months.

Manuel started the ensuing season as the starter but was quickly replaced after an incredibly poor performance in Houston. He never truly revived his confidence and in 2015, Manuel suffered an embarrassing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in which he accounted for three turnovers in a very short amount of time.

The Bills would eventually decline the quarterback’s fifth-year option. In 2017, Manuel ended up in landing in Oakland where he now backs up Derek Carr, a player drafted one year and one round later than Manuel.