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Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Heading into the 2018 college football season, Ed Oliver was the favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick. Such early projections can be flimsy, but Oliver had a rare, explosive skill set that warranted the hype. He had similarities to Aaron Donald, Grady Jarrett and Geno Atkins—some of the league's best defensive tackles.

However, he was miscast during his final season at Houston. Rather than his natural 3-technique position, Oliver played a majority of his snaps as a 0-tech directly across from the center in a defense that mostly played with just three defensive linemen.

Oliver's 6'2", 287-pound frame was more than passable at 3-tech, but as a 0-tech, he drew relentless double-teams. He only picked up three sacks in 2018, bringing his career total to 13.5.

His stock took a hit for reasons out of his control. His only job was to do what his coaches asked of him, and he did that to the best of his abilities, still showing off many of the traits that initially earned him first-overall attention.

For Buffalo to get Oliver at No. 9 is a steal. Though he's a different player than the recently retired Kyle Williams, it is brilliant of the Bills to replace one longtime star defensive tackle with a star prospect. Opposing AFC East quarterbacks should be scared of stepping up in the pocket for the next decade.