The last time the Buffalo Bills picked in the top ten of the NFL Draft was back in 2019 where they selected defensive tackle Ed Oliver coming out of the University of Houston. The Bills needed some help at the three-gap in the trenches. Oliver had comparisons that were stretched to the point of him being the next coming of Aaron Donald. Now obviously, that’s an honor to have that comparison but that has not been the case the last six seasons.
Quite frankly, that wasn’t a fair comparison for Oliver as Donald has become an all-time great and was a superstar at the time that Oliver was drafted. At the same time, being the 9th overall pick means that there better be results. Oliver is still with the Bills and was given a four-year, $68 million deal prior to the 2023 season and it was a major head-scratching move by the Bills.
However, that paid off for the Bills as during that season Oliver had a career-best in sacks (9.5), total tackles (51), and QB hits (15). Then last season, Oliver’s production dropped due to injuries and inconsistent play. He finished the 2024 season with 29 total tackles and 3 sacks. He was more of a liability than an asset.
Ed Oliver shockingly pinned as one of best DTs in NFL for 2025 season
Per Jeremy Fowler, NFL executives, coaches, and scouts ranked the NFL’s top defensive tackles going into this upcoming season and Oliver did receive some votes as one of the best. While he wasn’t selected as a top ten player at this position, Oliver getting votes shows that people are paying attention to what he has done in Buffalo for the better.
It’s very simple, Oliver has to step up from last season. Will he get back to his old 2023 form? Bills fans do hope so. The good news is that he won’t need to be a three-down player as the Bills brought in a lot of defensive line depth this offseason. Behind Oliver is second-year player DeWayne Carter and rookie T.J. Sanders, both who can line up in the three-gap.