Bills snag Ed Oliver after brief slide

The Buffalo Bills selected defensive lineman Ed Oliver out of Houston with the ninth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Oliver was consistently mentioned as one of the top defensive prospects in this year's class due to his freak athleticism and explosive first step. The interior lineman was projected by some to be selected inside the top five.

The three-time first-team All-American will presumably slide in next to Star Lotulelei in the starting lineup.

Buffalo had been linked to Oliver in the pre-draft process and were rumored to trade up for the Houston product.

School: Houston
Height: 6-2
Weight: 287 lbs

Strengths

• Elite athlete and rare movement skills for a man his size
• Aaron Donald-esque explosion off the line of scrimmage
• Eye-popping ability to penetrate assigned gap
• Unstoppable when converting speed to power
• Has full-body strength and stays low to win leverage game
• Very productive throughout college career
• Speed rusher that utilizes a number of other pass-rush moves as well
• Excellent pursuit speed with very good body control

Weaknesses

• Doesn't have ideal measurables for an NFL defensive tackle
• Some issues shedding blocks in run defense
• Produced mostly against lower-level competition
• Disruptive but lacked sack numbers
• Likely can be neutralized by double-teams in the pro

Bottom line

Oliver is truly a rare physical specimen for an interior lineman prospect. He combines an explosive first step with immense power and body control to defeat opposing blockers on a consistent basis. The three-time All-American certainly has questions regarding his play weight, length, and level of competition, but these limitations shouldn't hinder him from developing into an All-Pro. Oliver is a plug-and-play defender as a one-gap tackle in a 4-3. His athletic traits and dominant flashes are too good to pass up.

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