Tennessee Titans: 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft two weeks out
Round 1, Pick 19: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
Let’s just go ahead and get this out of the way — it is highly, highly unlikely that Ed Oliver drops to the 19th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, in this simulation, that’s how all the dominos fell early on, leaving the Tennessee Titans with a no-brainer decision to take a potential top-five player in this class and fill a huge position of need on their defensive line.
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Jurrell Casey has long been an under-appreciated force in the middle of the Titans’ three-man front on defense, causing disruption consistently and often. However, the ancillary pieces surrounding Casey on the front have been a turnstile of mediocrity and not allowing Casey to maximize his talents. Adding Oliver to that role would make the Titans defense a force to be reckoned with up front.
Many will say that Oliver is ideally suited for a 4-3 defensive front, and that may well be true. And while he may be short on size, the physical attributes and athleticism of Oliver are jaw-dropping and undeniable, as is his tape. He possesses the tools as a player and athlete to be a tremendously versatile piece, which Tennessee banks on with this pick.
With Oliver’s ability to swallow up offensive linemen and/or blow past them in getting to opposing quarterbacks, the Houston product would make the Tennessee front fierce, something they need with critical departures in the front-seven this offseason. Again, he likely won’t be there, but if things play out on April 25 as they did in this simulation, it’s be a foolish move for the Titans to pass on Oliver.