Taken 27th overall in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft out of Arizona, John Fina became the long-term successor at left tackle for Marv Levy’s championship-caliber offense. Taking over as the full-time protector of Jim Kelly’s blindside in his second season, Fina spent a decade serving as an anchor along Buffalo’s offensive line.

Fina demonstrated integrated leverage, swift lateral footwork, and functional strength. Serving predominantly as the starting left tackle, his primary proficiency was in pass protection; he had the range to establish a wide stance against speed rushers on the edge, while employing effective hand placement to anchor against power rushes, thereby maintaining the integrity of the pocket within Buffalo’s K-Gun passing scheme.

Following his tenure as a primary rotational lineman and special teams contributor as a rookie in 1992—where he participated in Super Bowl XXVII—Fina assumed the role of starting left tackle in 1993. He commenced all 16 regular-season games and three playoff games, including Super Bowl XXVIII, thereby facilitating opportunities for Thurman Thomas and safeguarding Jim Kelly during Buffalo's fourth consecutive AFC championship campaign.

Fina served as the Bills' primary left tackle for nine successive seasons (1993–2001). Renowned for his consistent performance amid evolving offensive strategies and quarterback changes, he provided stability to offensive lines that facilitated 1,000-yard rushing seasons for Thurman Thomas, Bryce Brown, and Antowain Smith.

Fina ended his ten-year Buffalo tenure after 2001, then played his final NFL season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2002. He started 131 of 148 games for Buffalo.

Ben Williams came to Buffalo as a historic figure.  As the first Black student-athlete to play varsity football at Ole Miss—earning the affectionate nickname "Gentle Ben" off the field—Williams (3rd round, 78th overall in 1876) translated his collegiate dominance directly into a ten-year career as an anchor on the Bills' defensive front.

Williams possessed a physical, leveraged style of play that allowed him to line up across multiple spots on the defensive line. Operating primarily as a left defensive end, his defining trait on tape was his lateral quickness and upper-body strength; he could shed double-teams on run plays and shoot interior B-gaps to disrupt timing in opposing backfields.

Williams was a fundamental piece of head coach Chuck Knox's early-1980s playoff teams. He produced his most prolific pass-rushing season in 1980, registering an impressive 12.0 sacks (along with four forced fumbles) as Buffalo won the AFC East title. He followed that up with a 10.0-sack campaign in 1981, helping lead the Bills back to the postseason.

During the strike-shortened 1982 season, Williams started all nine games and recorded 4.0 sacks, earning his first career Pro Bowl selection. He bounced back with another 10.0-sack year in 1983, marking his third season with double-digit sack production.

Williams played all ten of his NFL seasons exclusively in Buffalo (1976–1985) and had 52 sacks for the organization.

Nicknamed "The Dancing Bear" for his deceptive agility and massive frame, Ron McDole joined the Buffalo Bills in 1963 after brief stints with St. Louis and Houston. Lined up at left defensive end, McDole became a fixture in Western New York, serving as a defensive team captain and combining relentless run defense with unbelievable ball skills for a lineman.

McDole combined strength, football instincts, and spatial awareness along the edge. Instead of relying solely on speed off the corner, he used precise hand placement to shed blocks, establish a strong edge against perimeter sweeps, and collapse passing pockets. His standout skill was his vision: McDole read quarterback eyes and screen passes better than most linemen of his era, often raising his hands to deflect throws or dropping into passing lanes to make turnovers.

McDole’s career in Buffalo started in 1963, where he played 12 games as a key rotational end during the team's run to the AFL Eastern Division title game. In 1964, he became a full-time starter at left defensive end, playing all 14 games and recording a safety as Buffalo won its first AFL Championship. The following year, in 1965, McDole was selected as an AFL All-Star, recovering five fumbles and leading a defense that repeated as AFL Champions. He continued his excellence with an AP First-Team All-AFL selection in 1966, starting every game and helping Buffalo advance to its third consecutive AFL title game.

McDole received his second AFL All-Star nomination in 1967. In 1968, he delivered an impressive season, with two intercepted passes for 47 yards and a fumble recovery. He continued to demonstrate durability in 1969, starting all 14 games and earning his fifth straight All-AFL honor. McDole concluded his notable career in Western New York by starting 13 games during the 1970 AFL-NFL merger season, bringing his total to 109 regular-season games with the Bills.

In May 1971, after completing eight seasons in Western New York, the Bills traded McDole to Washington in exchange for draft picks. In the capital, McDole rejuvenated his career as a seasoned leader for George Allen's "Over the Hill Gang," starting in Super Bowl VII and playing eight more seasons before retiring in 1978 at age 39 with a total of 240 career games.

In Buffalo, McDole had 34 sacks and six picks over 141 games.

Drafted in the 14th round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns out of Bluffton College, Elbert Dubenion instead signed with the upstart Buffalo Bills for their inaugural 1960 season. Nicknamed "Golden Wheels" for his track-level speed, Dubenion became an original AFL star and the franchise's first elite vertical threat.

Dubenion was a flanker built for vertical acceleration and big-play potential. In Lou Saban's offense, he was known for blowing past man coverage on go routes and deep posts. He paired smooth tracking on long passes with open-field quickness, routinely turning short hitches and sweeps into massive chunk plays.

Dubenion's peak occurred in 1964, during which he achieved one of the most efficient seasons for big-play receiving in the history of professional football. Receiving passes from Jack Kemp and Daryle Lamonica, Dubenion secured 42 receptions for 1,139 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, with an impressive average of 27.1 yards per reception. He was awarded his first AFL All-Star selection and Second-Team All-AFL honors, contributing significantly to Buffalo's 12–2 record. Additionally, he established a place in the record books during the 1963 postseason; in the Eastern Division playoff game against the Boston Patriots, Dubenion caught a 93-yard touchdown pass from Daryle Lamonica—the longest reception in AFL playoff history.

Dubenion was a core offensive engine during Buffalo's back-to-back AFL Championship runs in 1964 and 1965. Though a severe knee injury limited him to three games in 1965, he returned to post 747 receiving yards in 1966 as Buffalo captured its third straight division title.

A true original who played his entire nine-year career in Buffalo (1960–1968), Dubenion finished his AFL career with 294 receptions, 5,294 receiving yards, and 35 receiving touchdowns, averaging 18.0 yards per catch.  He would later be chosen for the Bills Wall of Fame.