Former Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver ran a 4.73-second 40-yard dash, 4.22-second 20-yard shuttle, and 7.15-second 3-cone Thursday morning after not participating in those drills at the NFL Combine in February. He also tipped the scales at 281 pounds, shaving six pounds since his weigh-in in Indianapolis. Last month, the standout junior posted 32 reps in the bench press along with a 36-inch vertical jump and 120-inch broad jump.

As an example of his sheer quickness and agility, his lone attempt in the 20-yard short shuttle was better than Saquon Barkley’s last year.

Here was Oliver’s second of three 3-cone runs.

The Houston native continued to look quick and explosive through the on-field drills, as well.

To read and watch how the rest of the events transpired on my twitter thread, click here.

In attendance at today’s pro day were head coaches Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills and Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans, as well as other representatives from around the league.

Today’s performance further solidifies what many evaluators see on film: that the first ever underclassman to win the Outland Trophy (2017) — given to college football’s best interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America — is a consensus top-10 talent in the 2019 NFL Draft who could follow in the footsteps of Aaron Donald from 2014.

When asked why he committed to Houston instead of a Power-5 school, Oliver said that following in his brother’s footsteps was a major factor. He also professed his desire to be a part of the University’s growth and, although not wanting to take credit for it, he acknowledged his role in bringing the school into the national spotlight.

The prolific defensive lineman also heaped praise on position coach A.J. Blum, who was his coach at Westfield High School in Houston, TX: “His impact on my career, I can’t even put it into words. What the guy took me from and what I am today is just remarkable, honestly. I trusted everything he ever told me. He said I could be as good as I wanted to be if I chose to put in the work, and I just followed and I bought into it. He’s one of those guys that inspires players, not just coach[sic] them, but inspired me to be great.”

Up next for Oliver are visits with the Saints, Bills, Giants, Jets, Raiders, and Falcons, among others. After that, he’ll most likely attend the draft in Nashville; he said his mother really wants to go.

And in a lighthearted moment, he then challenged fellow draft prospect Josh Allen from Kentucky to a bet on the Houston vs Kentucky college basketball game that takes place Friday night. Oliver also mentioned that he’s 100-percent healthy after dealing with a hamstring issue since late January.

In addition to Oliver, two of his teammates that joined him at the Combine also participated in today’s pro day. Lengthy cornerback Isaiah Johnson put up nine reps in the bench press and appeared to tweak something in his chest but was able to participate in on-field work. Linebacker Emeke Egbule shattered his 7.38-second 3-cone from the combine with a 7.09-second effort on Thursday and ran an 11.89-second 60-yard shuttle.

The speedy corner had a long chat with Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard after his workout before finishing his day with a media interview. “It’s a blessing to talk to any of [the coaches],” he said, “It’s surreal, kind of, because they’re people just like you but it’s who they really are, what their job is and what they do.” He appeared humbled and appreciative of the attention from coaches because “getting an opportunity to get coached and for them to see me as a great prospect in this draft is something big for me. It’s a blessing. I’ve never had that before.”

The former wide receiver has played corner the past two seasons and joked that he “felt like [he’s] been doing this since kindergarten.” Truthfully, he knows he has a lot to work on, “nothing comes overnight, let alone two years…To be as great as I wanna be, I gotta keep working.”

He next has visits scheduled with Philadelphia, Denver, Minnesota, and a private workout with the Texans.

Johnson is viewed as a top-100 pick in April’s draft, while Egbule could be selected on the third day.

You can follow Allan on Twitter at @AllanUy22

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