3 Bills players who could help the Vikings during the 2019 season
By Nik Edlund
Ed Oliver – DT
This one is kind of a risk as Ed Oliver is a rookie and has never played an NFL down but his skill set is exactly what the Minnesota Vikings defense lacks right now. They have two run-stuffers in the middle of their defense in Linval Joseph and Shamar Stephen. When Sheldon Richardson left to join the Cleveland Browns in the offseason, they lost their disruptor.
Granted the Vikings do have some guys in Hercules Mata’afa and Jalyn Holmes who have shown flashes and will fill that role in a situational basis this season, but Oliver’s ceiling is on another level.
Ed Oliver is 6-foot-1 and 287 pounds. This guy is lightning quick off the snap and he can blow by guards before they are even out of their stance. He’s got long arms that he can use to fend off would-be blockers and he also has unparalleled power. He is as good against the run as he is rushing the passer and is a complete defensive tackle and one who will never come off the field. This is why the Buffalo Bills used a top ten pick on him.
Oliver on the same line as Linval Joseph, Danielle Hunter, and Everson Griffen would be nuts. With those guys playing next to him Oliver would rarely see a double team. That would leave him one-on-one with a guard and nine times out of 10, that is a battle this guy will win.
Oliver still has to earn his stripes in the NFL, but what this guy could accomplish with Mike Zimmer and Andre Patterson coaching him is downright mind-boggling. He will still do very well with the Bills, but he would’ve been a great addition to the 2019 Vikings.