Grading every first-round pick of Buffalo Bills' current regime
2019 - Ed Oliver
Ed Oliver: A
Oliver had a slow start to his career, notching 14.5 sacks over his first four seasons. His production really saw an uptick in 2023 when he sacked the QB nine times, forced one fumble, one interception, 51 tackles, and 14 tackles for a loss.
The Bills gave Oliver a huge extension early, much like they did with Josh Allen, so they could lock him in cheaper than what they would've had to after his career season in 2023. Beane signed Oliver to a huge four-year, $68M extension last summer that keeps him in Buffalo until 2028.
As Oliver continues to grow, this is becoming a home run draft pick.
Grade: A+
2021 - Greg Rousseau
Rousseau has been tough to get a read on. He's shown signs of potential, and growth since being drafted in 2021. Rousseau notched eight sacks in 2022 alongside Von Miller for part of the season, and that left Bills fans hoping he'd build off of that.
However, he only sacked the QB five times and forced 12 tackles for a loss in 2023. Now, the Bills have a decision to make on his fifth-year option. They could put their trust in the young pass rusher, as they did with Ed Oliver, and pay him a year early rather than a year late. But, he needs to show signs he can be a dominant pass rusher if he wants to cash in next year.
Rousseau was still new to the pass rush position in college, switching over from wide receiver after getting to Miami, and taking a year off during covid. He's still very raw as we go into year four of his career, but he can still flip the switch and be a dominant rusher.