Ed Oliver

This will be Oliver's fifth season in Buffalo after being selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. He's coming off a mediocre season where he had 2.5 sacks and 34 tackles, but those came in just 13 games.

If motor were the only metric in question, Oliver would be a high-ranking IDP option. His IDP utility has lagged to this point, though, both due to low snap counts and meager tackle production. If Oliver takes a step forward in 2021 it will probably be thanks to his pass-rushing potential, where he may yet turn into a double-digit sack threat. The Bills should face a lot of pass attempts as teams try to keep up with the Josh Allen-led offense, and Oliver’s explosiveness (4.73 40, 36-inch vertical) makes him dangerous in that phase of the game.

Oliver was the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Like many rookie first-rounders, he was inconsistent but showed flashes of brilliance. On Thanksgiving Day in Dallas, Oliver sacked Dak Prescott twice and forced a fumble that the Bills recovered. Five sacks and 43 tackles is something for the big man to build upon in year two, though he could be starting the season with a suspension following a recent arrest on charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon.

Oliver, who looks like a draft-day steal after the Bills snagged him ninth overall this past April, isn't a towering defensive line presence at just 6-foot-2, 287 pounds, but he's an exceptional athlete who was extremely productive in college. As a rookie, Oliver will look to win a starting defensive tackle job right away. Star Lotulelei is the plugger on the Buffalo line, while Oliver is expected to beat out Harrison and Jordan Phillips to earn the majority of the time as the other starter.