The NFL's Top 50 Draft Classes of the Decade: No. 41 Buffalo Bills, 2001

Team Achievements: 58-86, 0 playoff berths.
The Bills' 2001 Selections: Nate Clements, CB, Ohio St. (No. 21)
Aaron Schobel, DE, TCU (No. 46)
Travis Henry, RB, Tennessee (No. 58)
Ron Edwards, DT, Texas A&M (No. 76)
Jonas Jennings, OT, Georgia (No. 95)
Brandon Spoon, LB, North Carolina (No. 110)
Marques Sullivan, OT, Illinois (No.144)
Tony Driver, DB, Notre Dame (No. 178)
Dan O'Leary, TE, Notre Dame (No. 195)
Jimmy Williams, CB, Vanderbilt (No. 196)
Reggie Germany, WR, Ohio State (No. 214)
Tyrone Robertson, DT, Georgia (No. 238)

Class Accolades: Nate Clements - Pro Bowl in 2004, 23 interceptions, 444 total tackles, 12 forced fumbles, 7 touchdowns as a 7-year Bills' starter.
Aaron Schobel - 2 Pro Bowls, 78 career sacks, 21 forced fumbles, 481 tackles, 3^rd in sacks in 2006 (14).
Travis Henry - Pro Bowl in 2002, 3,849 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns in 4 seasons with Buffalo, 1,200+ yards in 2 straight seasons.
Ron Edwards - 7 sacks in 25 starts with Bills.
Jonas Jennings - 52 games started for Buffalo.
Brandon Spoon - 64 total tackles, 2 interceptions in 14 starts as a rookie.
Marques Sullivan - 22 starts in three seasons with Buffalo.

Overall Draft Analysis: The Bills' successfully mixed quality with quantity in 2001, garnering inclusion amongst the league's most accomplished draft classes of the past decade. Remarkably, the team last secured a postseason berth in 1999; however, the '01 class has performed admirably for the once-proud franchise. The sustained success of Schobel and Clements, during lengthy stints in Buffalo, headlines the team's productive pool of picks. Clements served as one of the NFL's most elite cornerbacks throughout his career in Buffalo, subsequently warranting a historically lucrative free-agent pay day from San Francisco. Schobel unassumingly ranks No. 4 in sacks amongst active defenders, selected in the year 2000 or later. Astonishingly, the 2-time Pro Bowler has played his entire career with Buffalo. The Bills' relatively stingy defense throughout the decade, also benefited from the relatively productive, Ron Edwards, and Brandon Spoon (albeit one season).

On offense, Jonas Jennings provided stability at tackle for four seasons in Buffalo. In spite of off-field issues, Travis Henry's recorded respectable totals as the Bills' featured back. Henry amassed back-to-back seasons of 1,350+ rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns, impressive totals for a second-round selection. Marques Sullivan remains the only other selection to see significant action as a starter. Ultimately, the collective longevity of the Bills' 2001 class allowed some semblance of stability for the ailing Bills. Clements and Schobel certainly rank amongst the decade's most productive performers, at their respective positions.

The Bills' "Perfect Draft" in Retrospect
(Keeping actual trades, only players of same position are eligible)
No. 21 - CB Antoine Winfield, No. 46 - DE Aaron Schobel, No. 58 - RB Rudi Johnson, No. 76 - DT Ron Edwards, No. 95 - OT Ryan Diem, No. 110 - LB Antonio Pierce (Undrafted), No. 144 - OT Brandon Gorin, No. 178 - DB Ifeanyi Ohalete (Undrafted), No. 195 - TE Eric Johnson, No. 196 - CB Nick Harper (Undrafted), No. 214 - WR Quentin McCord, No. 238 - DT Tyrone Robertson.

References: All statistics and draft results as referenced on NFL.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com.