2019 NFL Draft: Top prospect Ed Oliver reminds of Aaron Donald
Top 2019 NFL Draft prospect Ed Oliver, a defensive tackle from Houston, reminds of former Pitt star and Los Angeles Rams lineman Aaron Donald…
Houston Cougars defensive tackle Ed Oliver would have probably been one of the top players selected in the 2018 NFL Draft if he had left after his true sophomore season.
The 6-foot-3290-pound defensive tackle was one of the most coveted prep stars in the country in 2016 and wasted no time making an impact on the collegiate game.
As a true freshman, Oliver racked up 22 tackles for loss and five sacks along with six batted passes and a pair of forced fumbles.
His production didn’t dip much in 2017, despite receiving a lot more double teams, as he finished with 73 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks along with a pair of forced fumbles.
In a class of players that features some outstanding defensive line talent, Oliver stands out as the very best of the crop.
Oliver is able to overpower interior offensive linemen with great leverage and strength to go along with his lightning-fast first step.
Oliver reads the snap count as well as anyone in college football and nearly 40 tackles for loss in two seasons is a testament to that.
His ability to dominate on the interior with a combination of strength, quickness, athleticism, hand usage, and leverage reminds me of Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams.
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Donald was under-drafted coming out of Pitt because he wasn’t considered big enough to be a top-five draft pick, but he’s certainly proven teams wrong.
Donald is the most disruptive interior defensive player in the entire NFL and his combination of speed, power, leverage, and strength has made him the most feared defensive tackle in the game.
Oliver has that same kind of potential.
He has to be accounted for by at least two players on every single play, sometimes more. There’s often nothing opposing teams can do to slow him down. What makes players like Donald and Oliver special is the fact that they don’t rely on natural talent alone to make big plays.
Both of these players have incredible work habits and are relentless in pursuit of the play. There are a number of clips on Oliver’s highlight reel where he is chasing down ball carriers nearly 30 yards downfield.
That is the type of hustle and effort that sets this player apart from others.
Oliver is a special NFL prospect and that’s why he’s being given such a lofty comparison here. He’s already declared his intent for the 2019 NFL Draft, and we can expect him to be one of the top five picks in next year’s class.