In the NFL Draft world, one popular exercise is to go back in time. Hindsight is always 20/20 and doing a “re-draft” could often be fun.
But in terms of the 2019 draft, it’s not fun at all for the Bills according to Bleacher Report. That’s because in the outlet’s recent re-do, the Bills… got it right.
Instead of changing their No. 9 overall pick that year from Ed Oliver… Oliver is still the pick:
The Buffalo Bills should be happy Ed Oliver falls to them once again. The defensive tackle has been great for the organization, which has transformed itself into a title contender, even if his stats don’t stand out.
During his two years in Buffalo, Oliver has seen action in all 32 games and started 23, including each contest last year. He’s been responsible for 76 tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and 14 quarterback hits while playing 54 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
Surprisingly, Oliver hasn’t been the greatest defender against the run despite his 6’1″, 287-pound stature. The nose tackle has been better at generating quarterback pressure from the interior but has the athleticism to evolve in the ground game.
If the Houston product can develop into a better all-around nose tackle next year, the Bills will be quite pleased with their decision to draft Oliver at No. 9.
Other potential popular replacements for Oliver to the Bills could have been some good wide receivers from that year’s draft, such as DK Metcalf and AJ Brown. But with Buffalo’s current roster featuring Stefon Diggs, it’s not needed so keeping Oliver in such a scenario does make sense.
But to B/R’s point, the run defense must improve for Oliver in 2021. According to Pro Football Focus, that’s the big problem for Oliver.
The football analytics outlet gave him a strong 74.7 grade for his pass rushing last season. However, his 30.1 run defense mark is absolutely brutal.
Oliver is still a young player, though. Plenty of time to turn around in the run defense department.
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