Buffalo Bills: 5 best draft picks all-time

Part of what made the Bills’ offense so explosive in the 1990s was the sensational play of their Hall of Fame tailback Thurman Thomas, who played 12 of his 13 NFL seasons for the Bills in the AFC East. Thomas was a two-time All-American running back for the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big Eight and teammates with fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders in Stillwater.

Thomas went to five Pro Bowls with the Bills (1988-93), made two All-Pro first teams (1990-91), and was the 1991 NFL MVP. The former second round pick of the Bills in 1988 (No. 40 overall) is the franchise’s all-time leading rusher in yards (11,938), rushing attempts (2,849), and all-purpose touchdowns (87).

Thomas was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007 as one of the best dual-threat running backs of his time. In his heyday, few if any could put up more yards on the ground or through the air than did Thomas in the Bills’ K-Gun offense.

As a former second round pick out of Oklahoma State University, it’s hard to top the productivity that Thomas provided the Bills’ offense out of the backfield during their four straight Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s. Shockingly, Thomas is still one of the most overlooked Hall of Famers that played for the Bills, despite being a member of the 10,000-yard rushing club as a professional football player.

Next: 3. O.J. Simpson, 1969, No. 1 overall