Shortly before the draft began on Thursday night, there were a flurry of reports that the Bills were trying to trade up from the No. 9 pick in the first round.
That didn’t come to pass and the Bills stayed put to select a player some thought would go a few picks earlier. They drafted former Houston defensive lineman Ed Oliver.
Oliver was a consensus All-American in 2017 as he racked up 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks for the Cougars. His 2018 season was a little rockier as Oliver hurt his knee and had a flap with Houston head coach Major Applewhite about wearing a coat reserved for players while he was out of the lineup with that injury.
Oliver was productive when healthy, though, and the Bills will use him as part of a defensive line that’s looking to replace Kyle Williams this season.