2019 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting the first round after Week 6
. DT. Houston Cougars. Ed Oliver. 1. player. 32
It’s going to be a toss-up all season long whether Ed Oliver or Nick Bosa will go number one overall in next years draft. Each player has a strong case to be selected first, but with the Cardinals in the driver’s seat with their winless record, Oliver gets the slight nod.
Offenses have to scheme around Oliver every week, and it still does not slow him down. There’s a strong argument that we haven’t seen a defensive tackle this talented in decades. He is a tackling machine and has boasted 65 and 73 tackle seasons in each of his first two years in a Cougars uniform.
Why do the Cardinals pick him over Bosa? The Cardinals drafting a defensive end when the position is not a need doesn’t make much sense unless the Cardinals are trying to be like the New York Giants and pass rush their way to a Super Bowl run.
Drafting Oliver will give them an excellent front four, which will help them compete against the talented quarterbacks in the division.