Round 1 – Pick 9 overall
Original Selection: Ed Oliver
Re-Draft Selection: Ed Oliver
Prior to the 2019 NFL Draft, long time Buffalo Bill Kyle Williams hung up his cleats and decided to call it a career. Without Williams, the Bills were in desperate need of reinforcements on the interior of the defensive line.
Going into the draft, Ed Oliver was the obvious hope for many Bills fans and the player personnel department. Many draft analysts believed that Oliver was a Top 5 talent and it would be unlikely that he would slide to the Bills selection at ninth overall.
There were a few things that enabled Oliver’s slide to the Bills at nine. Some of it was because Oliver was playing out of his natural position in college which made it difficult to assess his game moving forward. Most of it was because of two selections, the first was the Raiders selecting Clelin Ferrell at 4th overall and the Giants selecting Daniel Jones at 6th. Both selections were a surprise to many draft analysts and subsequently allowed Oliver’s slide to the Bills.
Two seasons into his career Oliver has certainly left a bit more to be desired, but he has also shown spurts of potential that should allow the hope of his development to remain steady. Some fans may not be as patient with Oliver as they should be, but this selection shouldn’t be changed by hindsight.
Yes, there were some good players on the board at nine that the Bills could’ve selected, but considering the need for interior defensive linemen heading into the 2021 season it was the right selection in 2019 and still is today. Once the Bills get Star Lotulelei back next year and maybe even another 1 technique defensive tackle, Oliver’s true potential should be unleashed and put on full display.