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Bills use No. 9 pick on former Houston DT Ed Oliver

The apple of Buffalo's eye fell into the organization's lap after all.

The Bills selected Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Enamored with Oliver, the team's brass spent the day exploring the option of trading up for Oliver, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported while the Bills were on the clock.

One of the most decorated prospects in this year's draft, Oliver was a three-time All-American and earned the 2017 Outland Trophy as college football's top interior defensive lineman. He recorded 13.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and 54 tackles for loss in three years with Houston.

He fills a glaring hole on a roster that lost franchise legend Kyle Williams to retirement. An incredible athlete, Oliver has drawn comparisons to Bengals All-Pro Geno Atkins and Falcons franchise player Grady Jarrett.

"I love Oliver," one scout told Bob McGinn Football. "He's a play-making rascal, and I believe he's going to get better. He's not going to be a strength player. He's going to be mass times inertia. He gets there before you do."

Although scouts raised questions about his arm length (just under 32 inches) and ability to stuff the run against behemoth offensive linemen, the biggest knock against Oliver is maturity. To land a top-tier talent at this spot, however, Bills fans have to be thrilled.

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