The Jets’ draft may feature an Oliver twist.
There has been buzz in recent days that the Jets may be interested in selecting Houston defensive lineman Ed Oliver with the No. 3-overall pick. For months, the belief has been if the Jets could not trade back, they would take Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen or Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa, if he fell to them.
But now there is speculation around the league that Oliver may be the choice. Knowing what to believe the week before the 2019 NFL draft is a difficult task. Some believe there is legitimate interest from the Jets. Others believe it is a smokescreen, trying to nudge a team toward trading up to get him.
The buzz began last week, when NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah connected Oliver and the Jets in his mock draft. That has been followed up with reports and other mock drafts pointing to a possible match between the Jets and Oliver. Jeremiah explained why he connected them.
“Just making the connection between Gregg Williams having coached Aaron Donald and envisioning a role for somebody like Ed to be able to really penetrate and get upfield and kind of be more of the Robin type of a player to Batman there with Leonard Williams, just a different skill set to give you a little something different,” Jeremiah said. “So that’s what his strength would be.”
It would be a risky pick for general manager Mike Maccagnan, whose job is on the line this year and can’t afford to whiff on this pick.
Some of the skepticism from around the league centers on how Oliver exactly would fit Williams’ system. The Jets have said they will play a 3-4 base defense. Oliver is considered more of a three-technique (on guards’ shoulder) in a 4-3. No one is positive exactly what the Jets’ defense will look like and Williams prides himself in having more than 40 defensive looks he can throw at teams. Still, scouts question whether Oliver would fit.
Then there is the theory that the Jets are trying to get someone to trade up. The Raiders, picking at No. 4, are believed to love Oliver. Could the Jets be trying to scare the Raiders into moving up one spot and possibly sending them a second-round draft pick to do it?
“Oliver’s name is in that mix maybe with the idea of trading down,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “Throw as many names into that third spot as you can. Oliver certainly has a chance to be a really good player if he can maintain 280, 285 [pounds]. That’s the question. Will he be 270, 275 or 280, 285 through a long NFL season? He’s a gifted athlete. He runs well. He should be able to close and get sacks once he’s coached up in the right scheme.”
Allen, a pass-rusher from Kentucky, has been linked to the Jets throughout the process. A source said the Jets have some concerns that he may have been a one-year wonder, though. Allen had 17 sacks last year for the Wildcats but had 14.5 combined in his previous three seasons.
Oliver was viewed as potentially the best player in the 2019 draft at this time last year. But he had a disappointing junior year for the Cougars. He dealt with a knee injury and ended up with just three sacks. He also had a sideline argument with coach Major Applewhite over him wearing a coat on the sideline while he was injured.
There are also questions about his weight. Some scouts believe he played at under 280 pounds last year, which would be small for an NFL defensive lineman.
He is one of the most explosive players in the draft, though, and someone is going to take a bet on his upside. Many see him as a top-10 pick, but it would be surprising if he went at No. 3 to the Jets, especially if they draft him over Quinnen Williams, who is considered one of the safest picks.
“What would surprise me is if they took Oliver over Quinnen Williams, who could be there at three as well,” Kiper said. “They keep talking about getting that second-round pick back. The way you do it is to trade down from three.”