When you're a seventh-round draft pick, you better make an impression. Fast.

Rookie Ellis Lankster has done just that.

It began in the organized team activities and minicamp, where he piled up the interceptions

and pass breakups. He picked up where he left off in the spring as the big plays kept on

coming in training camp.

On Saturday night, Lankster flashed his playmaking skills again.

He had two of the Bills' four interceptions, setting up a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns

in a 27-20 victory over the Chicago Bears.

"I was a seventh-round pick, so I was just working hard in the offseason and just trying to

make the team," Lankster said.

Lankster is caught up in a numbers game at cornerback. Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin

are the starters, while Drayton Florence, Reggie Corner and Ashton Youboty round out the top

five.

That leaves Lankster in a battle with fellow rookies Cary Harris and Lydell Sargeant for

the sixth spot, assuming the Bills keep that many.

But Lankster's play on Saturday may have given him a leg up on the competition.

The solidly-built 5-foot-10, 190-pounder is an ideal Cover-2 cornerback because of his

range, instincts and ball skills. He put those talents to good use Saturday.

On the first interception, he was in the right spot at the right time as a pass bounced off

Bears receiver Johnnie Knox's hands and into Lankster's. His 14-yard return resulted in Gibran

Hamdan's 3-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Shawn Nelson.

On his second interception, Lankster dropped into a zone, read the quarterback's eyes and

jumped the route. After a 30-yard return, running back Bruce Hall scored from 4 yards out to

give the Bills a 27-13 lead.

"I was just reading it right and reading my man," said Lankster, who nearly had another

interception later in the fourth quarter. "[The quarterback] just threw the ball to my man and

I just picked it off."

Lankster may have been drafted so low because he played only two years at West Virginia. He

played two seasons at Jones County (Miss.) Junior College, where he was an All-America return

man and blocked four kicks, before transferring to the Mountaineers in 2007.

He got off to a rocky start at West Virginia. He was arrested and charged with receiving

and transferring stolen goods. He entered a pre-trial diversion program, but his junior season

was derailed by a three-game suspension.

Under the radar heading into the 2008 campaign, Lankster won a starting job and had a

terrific year. He finished third on the team with 68 tackles and tied for the team lead with

three interceptions and seven pass breakups to earn second-team All-Big East honors. He also

averaged 24.4 yards on eight kickoff returns and 8.6 yards on 20 punt returns.

Despite his strong year and running a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at West Virginia, the

off-field issues may have hurt. But the Bills were more than happy to scoop him up with the

11th pick in the seventh round.

"I would say that anybody you draft you would like to think has a legitimate chance," Bills

head coach Dick Jauron said. "The thing we liked about Ellis Lankster is, first of all, we

thought he was a tough guy. He'll come and hit you. He likes to play the game. And then he has

skills and you can see some of his skills.

"I thought that he did what he was supposed to do in terms of his technique and he caught

the ball. I thought that he showed his athletic ability in the runs. I thought the returns

were pretty good. He had a chance possibly for a third there, but we got our hands on a lot of

balls which is always good to see."

Lankster grabbed the Bills' attention in his first spring practice. Covering wide receiver

Roscoe Parrish, Lankster jumped in front of the pass and took it to the end zone.

"He's been making plays in practice from the minute he stepped on the field," said McGee,

who, like Lankster, was a second-day draft pick. "I know when I came in I was just hoping I

don't get cut. So I came out every day trying to make plays so the coaches would know who I

was. I'm pretty sure Ellis is going through the same thing.

"But he should be pleased with himself because any time he makes a play, the coaches have

to write that down. He's making progress."