With the stars that the Buffalo Bills had in the late ’80s and early ’90s, you needed a capable leader of the Offensive Line, which they had in Mississippi State alumni, Kent Hull.

The starting Left Guard for the Buffalo Bills during their elite run in the late ’80s and the early ’90s, Jim Rtcher would be named to two Pro Bowls and is one of the few players to suit up for Buffalo for over 200 Games.

Ritcher entered the Bills Wall of Fame in 2004.

Holding the distinction of being the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who never played in the NFL, Billy Shaw was an elite Offensive Lineman who spent his entire career with the Buffalo Bills and would be named to five consecutive First Team All-AFL Teams and the All-Time AFL roster.  It is very plausible to state that the Buffalo Bills would not have won their two AFL Championships without him.

Buffalo selected Shaw for their Wall of Fame in 1988.

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Joe DaLamielleure had the best years of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and was adept at opening holes for O.J. Simpson to plow through.  DeLamielleure had five of his six Pro Bowls as a Bill and was a three-time First Team All-Pro.  It was also noted how well the Offensive Guard handled Pittsburgh Steeler Defensive End, Joe Greene, one of the few players who got the better of “Mean Joe”.

DeLamielleure spent the second half of his career with the Cleveland Browns, though he returned for a final season with Buffalo in 1985.  In 2003, he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Six years before, DeLamielleure was chosen for the Bills Wall of Fame.

A vital part of the Buffalo Bills defense during those four straight Super Bowl appearances, Cornelius Bennett was the AFC Defensive Player of the Year twice and was also a member of the 1990’s All-Decade Team.  Bennett would also be a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and he recorded 52.5 Sacks for the team.

Ruben Brown played nine seasons for the Buffalo Bills and secured eight Pro Bowl invitations, a whopping percentage!  Brown, who would also be named to another Pro Bowl as a Chicago Bear would start all of his 136 Games Played as a Bill.  He would be chosen for the Second Team All-Pro roster four times and is arguably one of the most underappreciated players in NFL history.

Jack Kemp would actually become more famous for his foray into politics, but in Buffalo he was an exceptional Quarterback who would lead the Bills to two AFL Championships.

Considered one of the most underrated players (at least in the eyes of his teammates), the acrobatic Darryl Talley is the Buffalo Bills all-time leader in Tackles.  Talley would also accumulate 38.5 Sacks and would never miss a game over his twelve seasons in Buffalo.  The Linebacker was a huge part of their four straight AFC Championships, and he was chosen for the Bills Wall of Fame in 2003.

Mike Stratton is a forgotten piece of Buffalo Bills Football lore, which is unfortunate as he was a dominating Linebacker during the 1960’s who in the 1964 AFL Championship game executed “The Hit Heard Round the World” when he stopped San Diego’s Keith Lincoln and took him out of the contest.  That hit changed the momentum of the game, which would lead to Buffalo’s first AFL Title.  Stratton would be named to the Second Team All-Time AFL roster.

Buffalo chose Stratton for their Wall of Fame in 1994.

Fred Smerlas was one of the few shining lights for some awful Buffalo Bills teams and he was there to see the franchise rise.  The bruising Nose Tackle would make five Pro Bowls and achieve a high level of popularity in Western New York.  He was named a First Team All-Pro in 1982.

He entered the Bills Wall of Fame in 2001.

The Buffalo Bills had the Quarterback (Kelly), the Running Back (Thomas), and to finish off that triumvirate of skill, they had Andre Reed.

One of the most dynamic offensive players in Football, Thurman Thomas was a superstar who incredibly led the National Football League in Yards from Scrimmage four years in a row, a feat almost as incredible his team making the Super Bowl four years in a row!

Considering how he originally stated he didn’t want to be in Buffalo (he went to the Houston Gamblers of the USFL first), there might be no player in Bills history who is more synonymous with the city than former Quarterback, Jim Kelly.

When the USFL folded, Kelly resigned himself to the cold weather but would become a major star in that environment.  Kelly would lead the no-huddle “K-Gun” to one of the most potent offenses of the era and he was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.

While the first three years of O.J. Simpson’s professional career was basically average, he would explode the next five seasons where he would explode for five consecutive First Team All-Pro nods as well as four Rushing Titles.   One of those titles included becoming the first Running Back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.

Bruce Smith was the first overall Draft Pick of 1985 and he did not disappoint the fans of the Buffalo Bills.  Smith would become the leader of the Bills defense for years and would emerge as the most dominating Quarterback destroyer in history amassing 200 Quarterback Sacks (171 with Buffalo) and is the all-time leader in that category.

Steve Tasker may have been listed as a Wide Receiver but with only 51 career receptions it is hard to think of him as a successful wide out.  Tasker did however make the Prow Bowl but it was not because of his offensive capabilities but from his prowess on the Special Teams.

London Fletcher was a tackling machine that had accumulated over 2,000 Tackles in the National Football League. This is where Fletcher’s best chance for the Hall lies as he was only a four-time Pro Bowl selection, a number that right or wrong does matter. Fletcher, however, does hold a resume with all those tackles, longevity, a Super Bowl Ring with the Rams, and a reputation as a locker room leader and off-field good guy.

Did we make a mistake not ranking Drew Bledsoe in his first year of eligibility? Statistically speaking we may have as his career statistics are more impressive than other Quarterbacks ranked higher than him. However other intangibles come into play which just makes it so hard for us to determine the perfect place for him on this list.