PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Here are five observations from Bills camp:

	Bledsoe has a big and reliable target in Pro Bowler Moulds.

1. Most of the attention being afforded the Bills, who have won only 11 games over the past two seasons, is because of the presence of quarterback Drew Bledsoe. No problem there since the draft day trade for the former New England Patriots star is the move that re-energized the franchise, and provides Buffalo its most unchallenged leader since the retirement of Jim Kelly. But when the Bills return to the playoffs, and some pundits feel that will be this season, it will be just as much a result of terrific drafts the past two years. Certainly it is those consecutive draft classes assembled by president Tom Donahoe and assistant general manager Tom Modrak, arguably the NFL's premier personnel tandem, that will serve as Buffalo's foundation for years to come. The Bills chose 12 players in the 2001 draft and 11 of them stuck, either on the active roster, the practice squad or injured reserve. Venerable owner Ralph Wilson Jr. termed this year's draft bounty the greatest in team history and, while we might not totally agree, the 10-player class of '02 is a tremendous follow-up to last year's rookie windfall. Tackle Mike Williams (No. 1) already is a starter on the right side and, although he suffered a thumb injury over the weekend, the 375-pound mauler has been everything Buffalo scouts felt he would be to this point in camp. If you're looking for a late-round sleeper in your fantasy draft, you might take a flier on second-round wide receiver Josh Reed. The former LSU star is a perfect complement to outside speedsters Eric Moulds and Peerless Price. He will work mostly out of the slot, probing the underbelly of secondaries, and is very effective in the "red zone." In fact, in the Friday morning practice against the Cleveland Browns defense, Reed had a remarkable six receptions in "red zone" situations. Third-round safety Coy Wire, coaches agree, will be a starter sometime this year. Fifth-rounder Justin Bannan will be part of the defensive line rotation.

2. It's hard to tell who's more psyched about the Bledsoe trade: the Bills' loyal fans or the quarterback himself. Bledsoe has been reborn by the trade, clearly looks comfortable, and is regarded even by the most senior Buffalo players as the unquestioned team leader. "It's been really gratifying, the way I've been accepted here, and we haven't had to go through the usual get acquainted period," Bledsoe said. Having to play second fiddle to Tom Brady in New England last season hurt Bledsoe's pride, but he's the conductor of the orchestra again and back in his element. Bledsoe was nothing short of brilliant in the Saturday scrimmage, hitting five straight passes, throwing the ball up field. In a Friday afternoon practice, his accuracy was crisp, his confidence palpable. He will make Moulds and Price more productive as deep receivers and allow the Bills to take a giant step back toward respectability. It's obvious he relishes being The Man again.

3. The lack of a true Pro Bowl caliber player on the defensive line, and the dearth of experience at the position, could be a real problem. Defensive tackle Pat Williams, who is known to take too many snaps off, is the lone player on the unit with more than two years of league experience. Of the 14 defensive linemen on the roster, 11 are either in their first or second NFL campaign. Look for the Bills to rotate as many as eight linemen in most games, simply try to keep fresh bodies in the contest, and hopefully erode opponents. It might be hard for the Bills, under such circumstances, to improve much on the 34 sacks they posted in 2001. Second-year right end Aaron Schobel, who had 6 ½ sacks during his 2001 rookie campaign, will start along with Williams on the right side. The starters on the left side have yet to be determined, although youngsters Kendrick Office and Leif Larsen are the current favorites. Rookie tackle Justin Bannan will probably be part of the interior rotation, but second-round end Ryan Denney, a player the Bills loved in the draft, hasn't done much in camp. Denney is fairly solid versus the run but has demonstrated no innate pass-rush ability. Third-year veteran end Erik Flowers, the team's first-round pick in 2000 under the former regime, is fast reaching the end of the rope. He has done little in camp to deserve a roster spot and, frankly, might not make the team. Buffalo would have loved to add a veteran lineman, someone like tackle Sam Adams or end Marco Coleman, in free agency. But they lacked the cap room necessary for such an acquisition and will just have to play with what they've got, they have realized. Hopefully, it will be enough for a team that in the past couple seasons has lost veteran standouts like Ted Washington and Phil Hansen.

4. After considerable experimentation and position-swapping during the spring, coaches have finally settled on a starting offensive line, and the unit will be young but promising. The alignment: Jonas Jennings at left tackle, Ruben Brown at left guard, Trey Teague as the center, Marques Sullivan at right guard and first-rounder Williams at the right tackle spot. Jennings, who played right tackle in 2001, and Sullivan are entering just their second season. Teague is a four-year veteran and, of course, Williams a rookie. The key may be Teague, who started at left tackle for the Denver Broncos in 2001. When the Bills signed him as an unrestricted free agent this spring, it was believed he would play left tackle. But the coaches spent the minicamps rotating he and Jennings at the hub position and he was deemed the better of the two in the middle. Just based on his camp play, it looks like Williams will be a Pro Bowl player early in his career. The line has looked good in the run-block situations, but must improve across the board in pass protection, and keep rushers off Bledsoe.

5. New offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who replaces Mike Sheppard after just one season, should make a marked difference in a unit that statistically ranked 13th in 2001 but didn't score enough. The skill-position players to whom we spoke over the weekend lauded Gilbride and his design, and he will definitely play into Bledsoe's strengths. Look for a more vertical passing game, which Moulds will love, but also a physical running game that takes advantage of a deep tailback corps.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.