Buffalo Bills make a mistake by not drafting Bryce Petty

The Buffalo Bills will be heading into the 2015 with a big question mark at the quarterback position.

More from Buffalo Bills

Not only could 2015 pose a problem for the Bills at quarterback, but their long term plan isn’t very good either right now. In the 2013 NFL Draft, the Bills used their first-round pick on quarterback EJ Manuel.

Manuel was taken 16^th overall, and after playing in 10 games in his rookie season, Manuel was benched in 2014 for Kyle Orton. The Bills got Orton to come out of retirement, and he would take control of the starting quarterback position from Manuel.

In 2015, it is going to be Manuel under center most likely, but Matt Cassel is also on the roster. The Bills didn’t have a first-round pick in 2015, but it was very surprising to see them not take a chance on a quarterback sometime in the draft.

One name that made a lot of sense for the Bills to take a chance on was Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty.

In four seasons at Baylor, Petty was the starter for two of them, and was able to compile a great record and great stats. In his two seasons as a starter, Petty had a 21-4 record, and helped make Baylor one of the best teams in all of college football.

At Baylor, Petty totaled 8,195 passing yards, 62 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 62.7 completion percentage. Petty wasn’t shy about running the football with his large frame, as had 192 carries in four seasons.

Petty also demonstrated great courage and toughness in college. After cracking two small bones in his back, he only missed one game, and still had a great 2014 season.

The main knock on Petty coming into the NFL was that he ran a spread offense in college. While Petty wasn’t in control of what offense was run at Baylor, he did make the most of it by having a ton of success.

Petty would be drafted in the fourth-round of the NFL Draft to none other than Rex Ryan’s former team the New York Jets. The Jets are in a similar quarterback situation to the one the Bills are in. New York drafted Geno Smith in the second-round of the 2013 NFL Draft, as many thought he would be taken before Manuel.

So far in the NFL, neither Manuel nor Smith have seen success. The difference between the Bills and the Jets, is that the Jets aren’t solely relying on their 2013 draft pick. Smith has shown signs that he can be decent in the NFL, but consistency has been a major issue.

Sep 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel (3) during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The benching of Manuel last season was a telling sign that he may not be quarterback the Bills hoped he would be. With the Bills’ draft picks, they selected four offensive players out of the six picks they held, but no quarterback.

It is very possible that quarterback play will keep the Bills from having success in 2015 despite some talented players on offense. The Bills will certainly have a talented defense for years to come, but their offense maybe what holds them back.

While Petty is not a lock to be a starter in the NFL, he certainly would have been worth using a late-round pick on.

Next: What was the best offseason move made by the Bills?

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Buffalo Bills