Elite Defensive Tackles in the 2019 NFL Draft

#2 Ed Oliver (Houston Cougars)

Ed Oliver (10)

Ed Oliver is like a bag full of surprises; in 2015, a high-school graduate, he took the big decision of becoming the first 5-star recruit in the history of college football to commit to a school outside the Power 5 Conferences. If this was not enough, on March 5, 2018, Oliver declared that he would enter the 2019 NFL Draft, a full 14 months before the draft.

While his off-field choices may be confusing, Oliver makes sure that on the field he makes the right choices, which has helped him record 129 tackles and 10.5 sacks combined in his freshman and sophomore years.

According to many scouts, Oliver lacks the size for his position but with his immense talent and hard work, Oliver has shown that he has the potential to be a disruptive interior force at the pro level.

As a run defender, he shows his immense power and strength to take on blockers and manages to slip through defenses on slants and angled rushes. In pass rush, he manages to create enough separation by putting in the work at the line of scrimmage and outworking his opponent to put pressure on the quarterback. He has a great motor and never gives up on a play.

Oliver still has to work on his hand usage while engaging with offensive linemen, he is an active hand fighter but his arsenal of counter moves is very limited. On more occasions than not, he tries to overcome blockers with his strength and explosiveness which has found him wanting on quite a few snaps hence he needs to refine his technique and add some evasive hand moves to his arsenal.

Overall, Ed Oliver is a hot commodity going into the 2019 NFL Draft and in a class filled with elite defensive candidates, he is expected to be one of the top 5 picks.