NFL Mock Draft 7.0: Giants, Patriots trade up; Redskins land defensive help
player. 16. . Defensive Lineman. Houston. Ed Oliver. 9
This is Ed Oliver’s floor. I can’t imagine a scenario in which the Bills would let him drop past this point. Oliver is simply an other-worldly athlete at the nose tackle position and while he’s coming off just a decent season at Houston, he has the ability needed to be a difference maker at the NFL level.
Oliver was a force to be reckoned with at Houston, consistently bursting through the line of scrimmage with a quick first step and constantly stopping opposign ball-carriers behind the line. During his three years with the team, Oliver notched a ridiculous 53 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. In a league that is starved for talented interior rushers, Oliver should go in the top 10.
However, Oliver doesn’t have to be just a defensive tackle. His athletic testing indicates that he should be able to play the edge in certain packages. And, there were a handful of teams that wanted to see him work out as a linebacker. While it’s unlikely that Oliver will play linebacker at the NFL level, using him as an edge rusher at times could pay dividends and keep opposing play-callers on their toes.
Oliver could be seen as an Aaron Donald type player for the next level. That doesn’t mean that he will reach that level, but he is similar to the Rams’ franchise pass rusher. He has scheme versatility and is hyper-athletic. And despite being a bit undersized, he can make it work.
Sean McDermott would be able to find a way to use Oliver. The team lost long-time defensive tackle Kyle Williams to retirement this offseason. Oliver could be a new monster in the middle, and he would be a massive upgrade next to Star Lotuleilei.