The Buffalo Bills used the No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to select Ed Oliver, a develop that came as no shock to the University of Houston defensive tackle.
The Bills had reportedly expressed plenty of interest in Oliver throughout the draft process. He said during an appearance on Buffalo's WGR 550 that he was hardly surprised that Buffalo made the call.
“When I got that call last night, I almost knew who was on that other end,” Oliver said. “They told me that they'd stand on the table for me.”
Oliver was undoubtedly one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft. As a result, it seemed the Bills were concerned about whether or not he would still be on the board by the time they made their pick. Rumors had even been swirling on draft day about them potentially trading up to select Oliver. Fortunately, he wound up falling into their lap at the No. 9 spot.
Buffalo managed to fill a much-needed void up front on defense. There is no question that Oliver has big shoes to fill as both a top-10 pick and the fact that he is slated to take over for now-retired Bills legend Kyle Williams. He is coming off a stellar college career in which he was named a three-time All-American while earning the Outland Trophy in 2017.
The biggest knock on Oliver is his relatively diminutive stature for an interior defensive lineman. Fortunately, he will be paired with defensive tackle Star Lotulelei. Lotulelei's status as the new anchor of the defense should allow Oliver to take advantage of more pass-rushing opportunities.
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