On this date in Bills history, WR Eric Moulds from Mississippi State was the Bills' No. 1 pick (24th overall) in the 1996 NFL Draft.
The Mississippi State product would go on to become one of the Bills all-time greats at the wide receiver position. Here are some of the highlights from Moulds' dynamic 10 seasons in Buffalo:
- Former Bills GM and current Bills special assistant Buddy Nix played a key role in scouting Moulds during his time as a Bulldog. Nix was a regional scout in charge of overseeing many of the southern colleges, including Mississippi State, at the time.
- Selected in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft, Moulds was a part of what many believe to be one of the greatest wide receiver classes in draft history. Highlighted by receivers such as Moulds, Keyshawn Johnson, Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens, eight receivers from the 1996 class made a combined 26 Pro Bowl appearances.
- After spending the first two years of his career learning from former Bills receiver and Hall of Fame inductee Andre Reed, Moulds emerged as one of the elite receiving options in the NFL during the 1998 season when he tallied 67 receptions for 1,368 yards and nine touchdowns on his way to earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. Moulds' 1,368 yards in 2000 still stands as a franchise record.
- In addition to earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 1998, Moulds received Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors again in 2000 and 2002.
- During the 1999 season, Moulds produced one of the best postseason performances in NFL history. In an AFC Wild Card matchup against Miami, Moulds caught nine passes en route to a NFL postseason record 240 receiving yards and one score.
- In 2002, Moulds became the only player in team history to catch 100 passes in a season.
- Moulds recorded four 1,000 yard seasons during his Bills tenure, joining Andre Reed as the only other Bill to cross the 1,000 yard mark four times.
- Moulds finished the year as the Bills top receiver spanning from his breakout year in 1998 to his final season as a Bill in 2005.
Moulds, who was named to the Bills 50th Anniversary All-Time team in 2009, finished his playing days back in 2007 but as he told BuffaloBills.com, is looking at new ways to be involved with the game.
