The Buffalo Bills first round pick was named to Pro Football Writers Association 2019 All-Rookie team.
One day after the Buffalo Bills had starting cornerback Tre’Davious White named to Pro Football Writers Association 2019 All-NFL team, they had their first round pick, Ed Oliver, make the PFWA’s All-Rookie team.
The former University of Houston defensive tackle was selected alongside Nick Bosa, who was PFWA Rookie of the Year, Josh Allen, and Dexter Lawrence for the defensive line.
Oliver was the ninth overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft and the Buffalo Bills were ecstatic when he fell to them at their current draft spot. He had a slow start to the season and at one point in the season was removed from the starting lineup.
However, he did finish the year strong with four of his five total sacks coming in the second half of the year. The best game of his rookie season came on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys when he finished with four total tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defended.
The good news of his place on PFWA’s All-Rookie team comes on the same day that Oliver went through core muscle surgery. He tweeted a picture after the surgery and there has been no reporting of when the injury happened. However, Oliver did not miss any playing time and played in all 16 games.
Surgery went well 🙏🏽 it’s been a hell of a way to navigate my rookie year 🤦🏽♂️ Prey for my speedy recovery because lord know I can’t sit still #BillsMafia #Panchopower pic.twitter.com/51okRX1ALB
— Ed Oliver (@Edoliver_11) January 14, 2020
The hope has to be that Oliver will be fully recovered by the time the Bills begin their offseason practices and workouts.
Entering the second year, Oliver is expected to have a much bigger role in this Buffalo Bills’ defense. The coaching staff will be looking to Oliver to be a presence in the middle of this line making plays in the backfield and collapsing the pocket.