Placing Ed Oliver in a mock draft right now is a tough task. If you are merely talking talent, Oliver is potentially the most talented player in this draft class, but the dreaded “character concerns” rose over his junior season at Houston.
Fairly or unfairly, Oliver will have to deal with questions surrounding his character throughout the draft process, and those concerns could see him slide a bit on draft day, while a big combine could just as easily vault him back toward the top of the draft.
There was chatter for most of the season of Oliver sitting out games despite being healthy enough to play, which all culminated in the infamous blow-up with head coach Major Applewhite over “jacket-gate” late in the season.
Removing those concerns, Oliver is a transcendent talent at defensive tackle, potentially invoking comparisons of the very best at the position in the NFL, such as Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox.
Despite facing constant double, and even triple teams, Oliver was one of the most dominating forces during his three-year career with the Cougars. He still managed 14.5 tackles-for-loss this season, and racked up an absurd 53 during the 32 games he played in college.
His ability to produce at that high of a level despite always being the focal point of opposing gameplans bodes well for his NFL future.
The Panthers have lost six straight games after a 6-2 start, with an eighth straight likely coming on Sunday even against a resting Saints team. Cam Newton’s season-long struggles with a shoulder injury is the main reason why, but there are a few holes Carolina needs to plug to get back to contending to take advantage of their window with Newton at the helm.
The Panthers have struggled to get after opposing quarterbacks this season, ranking 25th in the NFL in sacks. Finding an interior lineman with the ability to get after the QB like Oliver would be too juicy to pass up at this stage.