Green Bay Packers: 5 Targets in first round of 2019 NFL Draft
1. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
The prospect of Green Bay drafting Ed Oliver has been an idea that has been growing over the past month or so. He was viewed as a possible top-three pick when the college football season started, but he has steadily fallen down boards as the season went on.
While he could come off the board before No. 12 overall, for the purposes of this exercise, he’s on the board. Defensive lineman isn’t the Packers’ biggest need, but you don’t pass on a guy like Oliver if he falls that far in the draft.
Oliver has been compared to All-Pro Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams a lot throughout the pre-draft process. After the elite numbers he put up at his pro day, that case has only grown stronger. He possesses great speed when the play starts, and he has the power to push guys around no matter where he lines up.
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Similar to the Bush situation at inside linebacker, Mike Daniels is going to be a free agent after this season, and they could add his future replacement with Oliver. Oliver put up his best numbers as a freshman, and he rested down the stretch in his final year. However, he knew where he would be drafted no matter what. If that resting helps him fall to the Packers, they will be laughing all the way to the podium to select him.