The Buffalo Bills got a top talent in Ed Oliver. He was the obvious choice with pick No. 9 overall and will be a key piece on defense right away.
The Buffalo Bills selected Ed Oliver with the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Oliver comes to the Bills coming off an incredible 2018 campaign. During his time at the University of Houston, Oliver was a force to be reckoned with. He recorded 123 solo tackles and 70 assisted tackles for a total of 193, which earned Oliver earned multiple accolades.
In his final year, Oliver was named: 2018 Consensus All-American, 2018 FWAA First Team All-American, 2018 Walter Camp First Team All-American, 2018 Phil Steele First Team All-American, and 2018 AFCA Second Team All-American to name a few.
Oliver is a big, physical defensive tackle who is not one that shies away from contact. Prior to the draft, Oliver was compared to the talent of Aaron Donald. Much like Donald, Oliver gets in the backfield.
In his career, Oliver recorded 13.5 sacks for a total 90 lost yards. One of Oliver’s best attributes is his ability to “swim” overtop blocks and slip between the offensive linemen ahead of him.
Oliver could not come to the Bills at a more perfect time as his position, defensive tackle, frees up due to the retirement of Kyle Williams. Though Oliver has big shoes to fill if he is going to live up to the legacy that Williams left, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is provided with the perfect applicant for the job.
Personally, I cannot exclaim how great of a pick this is for the Bills. Buffalo was in the market for a pass rusher and a tight end. With the selection of T.J. Hockenson at the number eight spot by the Detriot Lions, Oliver practically fell into the Bills lap one pick later and taking the run-stuffing-quarterback-sacker was a no-brainer.
Buffalo was presented with the perfect opportunity to make a splash in the NFL Draft and did just that. As Oliver now prepares for his first season in Buffalo, the Bills could have very well made the most impactful selection in the 2019 draft. With Oliver’s presence on the defensive line, they now have the tools to bring defensive-line dominance back to the Buffalo Bills.