When the Bills drafted a slightly undersized defensive tackle ninth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, they were hoping that they had found someone in the mold of an Aaron Donald. The problem with comparing players based on their body types, though, is that we sometimes heap giant expectations onto players who just haven’t had the chance to show who they are yet. When we add in the different responsibilities of different players who play the same position in different schemes, it’s a recipe for disappointment.
If we were looking for Donald with that draft pick, we’re likely very disappointed in this particular player’s performance throughout the first part of his career. Then again, if we’re comparing almost any defensive tackle across the entire history of the sport against Donald, we’re going to come away realizing just how much of a unicorn Donald truly was.
In our latest installment of “90 players in 90 days,” we discuss a defensive tackle looking to come into his own as a more consistent force this season.
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Name: Ed Oliver
Number: 91
Position: DT
Height/Weight: 6’1”, 287 pounds
Age: 27 (28 on 12/12/2025)
Experience/Draft: 7; selected by Buffalo in the first round (No. 9 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft
College: Houston
Acquired: First-round draft choice
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Oliver enters the second year of the four-year, $68 million extension he signed prior to last season. His cap hit for the year is $11,241,890. Buffalo would carry a dead-cap number of $32,476,890 if he were to be released.
2024 Recap: After a 2023 season where he set a career-high with 9.5 sacks, it looked like Oliver had finally turned the corner and established himself as a consistent defensive weapon. However, he took a step back from a production standpoint in 2024, as he finished with a career-low 29 tackles, a career-low five tackles for loss, and just three sacks. Part of the dip was due to missing two games in the middle of the season because of a hamstring injury. Oliver also sat out Buffalo’s final regular-season contest against the New England Patriots as a healthy scratch.
In spite of the missed time, Oliver still led all Bills defensive tackles in snaps on defense, playing 55% of the team’s total. That trend continued in the postseason, as he played on around 75% of the snaps in the postseason. He had seven tackles, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, and one fumble recovery in the postseason.
Positional outlook: Oliver is the team’s starter at the three-tech spot, with veteran DaQuan Jones set to reprise his role as the one-tech next to him. T.J. Sanders is likely to be Oliver’s primary backup, with Larry Ogunjobi rotating in once he returns from a six-game suspension. Deone Walker is the other defensive tackle on the roster.
2025 Offseason: Oliver is healthy and ready to roll this season. He was an absolute force in the team’s home opener, a wild 41-40 comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens. He totaled six tackles — all of the solo variety — three tackles for loss, one sack, and a game-changing forced fumble on Derrick Henry to give the Bills a shot in the fourth quarter.
2025 Season outlook: The Bills need more consistency out of their front four if they want to take the next step towards earning a Super Bowl berth, let alone a Super Bowl ring. Oliver is a huge part of what they do, and he also has the potential to be a catalyst that hurtles them towards that very goal. When he’s good, he’s really good.
The problem is that he has disappeared for long stretches of play against bigger, more physical offensive lines. Add in the fact that teams double-teamed him last year instead of a slipping veteran in DaQuan Jones and it was a recipe for a down season.
With fresh faces in Walker and Sanders, plus another penetrating pass-rush type in Ogunjobi, the hope is that the Bills have given their existing pieces enough support to thrive. We could argue about whether it’s problematic that a player taken ninth overall seems to need the strongest possible Robin before he can become Batman, but it won’t do us much good to have the argument at this point.
Oliver still has dominant potential, and he flashes that dominance sometimes. Can he do it more often this season? If the first night is any indication, he could be well on his way to doing just that, as that kind of effort is exactly what the team needs out of Oliver every time he dons the uniform.
If he can harness that ability more consistently, then the Bills could be in for a special year.
