Andrew Luck

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) watches from the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

(Bill Wippert)

Orchard Park, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft to select Marcell Dareus, a defensive tackle who has developed into arguably the best player on their roster.

If they had their way back then, they may have come away with an even better player.

In a Sports Illustrated story documenting one of the most talented draft classes ever, Buffalo Bills general manager, who was the team's assistant general manager at the time, explained how the Bills targeted quarterback Cam Newton, who ended up going No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers and won the league MVP award in 2015. If Andrew Luck had declared for the draft in 2011 instead of returning to Stanford, it's possible Newton would have fallen to the Bills with the No. 3 pick.

"When we first started the draft process, we thought we'd have a good shot at Newton," Whaley told Sports Illustrated. "Andrew Luck, had he come out, would have been the first pick. Denver was at No. 2, and they didn't need a QB. So we thought, We'll get Cam at No. 3."

Newton went first to the Panthers, and the Denver Broncos were on the clock. Whaley expected them to draft Dareus.

"On draft day we were thinking, Denver will probably go with (Alabama defensive tackle) Marcell Dareus, and then we'll get Von Miller," Whaley told Sports Illustrated. "We thought they'd go with an interior guy instead of an outside guy."

The Broncos went with Miller, who was the Super Bowl MVP this past season. At the time, the Bills were ecstatic to have Dareus fall to them.

"When Von went to Denver, everyone (in our draft room) had big smiles, everyone stood up," Whaley said. "We had Marcell rated over Von. I was like, Don't even listen to the [trade offers coming in], just turn that card in.

"With Marcell, you're talking about a big, athletic man: 320 pounds, can run, is instinctive and a playmaker. A rare combination. . . . Cam, Von, Marcell--really, we wouldn't have been wrong with any of those guys."

Dareus hasn't disappointed at all, even if Newton and Miller have more accolades to their names. While Luck staying in school might have gotten the Bills a franchise quarterback in Newton, the Bills also would have had better draft position had they not rebounded from an 0-8 start in 2010.

Instead, they landed Dareus and waited until 2013 to get their quarterback. They used a first-round pick on EJ Manuel in 2013 and still haven't been able to reach the playoffs. The two teams picking ahead of the Bills that season played for a Super Bowl this season.

And it was all Andrew Luck's fault.