Buffalo Bills: Top 5 players with the most to prove in training camp

Ed Oliver

Ed Oliver was seen as the steal of the draft when the Bills picked him at ninth overall in the first round in last year’s NFL Draft. The defensive tackle had a slow start his rookie year but finished the season nicely, totaling five sacks in his rookie campaign.

Unfortunately, the 2020 offseason was not as kind to Oliver as the 2019 regular season. Last May, Oliver was arrested and charged with DWI as well as the unlawful possession of a weapon.

Fortunately for Oliver, his arrest did not lead to any further punishment from the team however the league has not made a decision yet on possible suspensions. If Oliver wants to show the Buffalo Bills that he is serious about having a long lasting professional career, then this training camp will be vitally important for two reasons.

The first is that Oliver has a heck of a lot of competition at his position. The Buffalo Bills were already deep on the defensive line last season. After the 2020 draft and free agency period, the team is absolutely loaded with talent.

This offseason, the Bills added Mario Addison, Quinton Jefferson and Vernon Butler in free agency. In the draft, the team picked defensive end A.J. Epenesa at 54th overall in the second round. Playing time will likely come at a premium at the defensive tackle position.

The second reason that this training camp is so important to Oliver is his personal progression as a player. Many fans and players have heard of a “sophomore slump”. With Ed Oliver coming off of a solid rookie season, he will have to guard himself against a sophomore slump as well.

Sometimes a player cannot control what happens during the course of a season. Injuries happen and with this year’s defensive line talent, it could be hard for Oliver to find as much playing time as his talent warrants. He should use training camp to find his role on the defense and understand that he may not see the field as much this season as he did in his rookie year.

If he keeps his mind right, then his on field production should be just fine.