2019 NFL Mock Draft: Projected first round after college football season

Ed Oliver is far too talented to go this low in the draft, and I suspect a big combine will likely send his stock soaring back into the 5-10 range, but he is currently dealing with the dreaded “character concerns” that has sent his draft stock spiraling downward at this point in the process.

At a certain point, though, regardless of the character concerns that are likely overblown, someone will pull the trigger on Oliver because his sheer talent outweighs the negatives that come with him.

Even in a season that was marred by injury and sideline controversies, Oliver was still remarkably productive despite being the focal point of offensive gameplans that saw him facing double and even triple teams. Oliver appeared in only eight games, and still managed a whopping 14.5 tackles-for-loss, bringing his total in his three years at Houston to an astonishing 53 in 32 games.

Oliver has the potential to be a disruptive force as an interior pass rusher at the next level ala Aaron Donald or Fletcher Cox. He possesses All-Pro potential, and if he is on the board when the Falcons pick at 14, there’s almost no chance he slides any further.

The Falcons’ defense was a major reason for their slide to 7-9 after two seasons as a viable NFC contender. Injuries depleted the roster, but there were also some obvious holes that needed to be filled even with the roster at full strength.

Grady Jarrett has been a monster on the interior when healthy, but the need remains for a starter alongside him. Adding Oliver to a defensive line with Jarrett and rush-end Takk McKinley would provide Atlanta with the makings of a feared front-seven, and could be the missing piece that moves them back near the top of the conference.