Houston Football: Did Ed Oliver make a mistake by declaring for NFL draft?

Did Houston football’s Ed Oliver make a mistake by declaring over a year before he’s eligible for the NFL draft?

Ed Oliver shocked absolutely no one on Monday evening when he announced his intention to play football at the next level following his junior season.

It’s not crazy to see players declare early for the NFL, but no one has ever made it official over a year in advance. Oliver is entering his junior season, but the 2018 NFL Draft is still months away.

Did Oliver make a mistake by declaring about 14 months before he’s drafted? Some might say yes because anything can happen during his junior season such as injuries and even a regret about making his decision early, but, on the other hand, if there’s any junior recruit in the nation who’s ready to declare, it’s Oliver.

In fact, many experts are already declaring him the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2019 class. He’s a dominating force on the defensive line who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 290 pounds. He’s an incredible athlete and is nearly impossible to stop at the collegiate level.

Through his first two seasons with Houston, he has recorded 138 total tackles, 38.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and nine pass deflections. He has been a menace on the defensive line and the shock value of this decision is non-existent.

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So before you go bashing the young kid’s decision to declare a year early, just realize that he feels ready and if he were eligible to leave after his sophomore season he’d probably still be the No. 1 overall pick. He’s making the decision that’s best for him and he’s going to be one heck of a pro.