Do Buffalo Bills have the 2019 No. 1 overall pick locked up?

The Buffalo Bills look as bad as a team can look against the Baltimore Ravens, but does that mean total doom for the rest of 2018?

Let’s get this out of the way: the Bills stink. They are going to finish last in the AFC East unless the New York Jets or Miami Dolphins become the football version of a MASH unit. Even then, put my money on the team from western New York keeping control of the basement.

Now, let’s also say this. Despite the bludgeoning taking place in Baltimore at the hands of the Ravens — as of this writing it’s 40-3 — the Bills aren’t this bad. It’s impossible for them to be this bad. In fact, if they are anywhere near this bad, they will be the worst team in NFL history by a country mile.

For comparison, the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, widely considered the worst NFL team of the modern era, lost by an average margin of 20.5 points per game on their way to an 0-14 record. In essence, the Bills are on pace to be twice as bad as that team.

All that said, are they the favorite for the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft? Probably. The Bills don’t have any real talent on offense save LeSean McCoy, whom they would be wise to trade for additional picks. At this point, a 30-year-old running back isn’t fixing this mess.

Additionally, Buffalo doesn’t have a viable quarterback on the roster. Josh Allen might turn into John Elway, but he’s looked overmatched and outclassed in a limited amount of action against the Ravens. This wouldn’t be too alarming, if he also didn’t appear that way against good teams at the college level while with the University of Wyoming. As for Nathan Peterman, well, he’s Nathan Peterman.

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Buffalo is going to be competing with the Cleveland Browns and perhaps a few others for the first pick, and that’s not necessarily the worst thing. The Bills need a ton of pieces before they can compete, and getting the best player in the draft is awesome. It’s a hell of a lot better than going 7-9 and picking 17th. Just ask Jeff Fisher.

So take heart, Bills fans. The team stinks, the weather is about to be lousy and the first-round rookie quarterback is more raw than a $2 steak, but better days are ahead.