Dominant Bills DT named one of NFL’s ‘most underrated’ players

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver might perhaps be best described as a player who serves as a barometer for NFL fans who watch football, as opposed to those who watch game scores; The defender has slowly evolved into one of the best interior pass generators in the league, but some still doubt his abilities.

His national prominence and recognition is slowly growing, which is natural considering he is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he notched a career-high 9.5 sacks. While Oliver’s fifth season as a professional was objectively his best (he set a new career high in total quarterback pressures with 72, according to Pro Football Focus, complementing that with 32 running stops ), it has been quite strong for some time; the former ninth overall pick never recorded fewer than 30 pressures and 20 run stops in a single season.

Oliver, however, has gone from “very good” to “near-elite” during the 2023 season, and several league pundits have yet to take notice. That’s why the 26-year-old earned a spot on the 33rd team’s list of the NFL’s most underrated players; In a recent article for the outlet, analyst Dan Pizzuta identified Oliver as the third most underrated player in the league.

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“Ed Oliver has the rare feat of earning a second major contract as a first-round pick while remaining well outside the top 10 at his position,” Pizzuta wrote. “Oliver signed a four-year extension worth $68 million last offseason and his average annual value of $17 million ranks only 17th at the position. His cash flow over three years of $51.4 million ranks 16th when Oliver signed this deal, he was coming off an uneven 2022 season. He produced just 2.5 sacks after starting the year with one. ankle injury and only played 13 games, but Oliver had been a productive player when healthy, and during parts of this 2022 season, even if some raw numbers wouldn’t indicate it.

“Oliver may not have the impact of Chris Jones, but that’s not what we’re looking for here. He’s closer to that type of player than you might think, however, and at 26, he still has room to grow.”

With Oliver’s supporting cast returning to Buffalo’s defensive line, his dominance could reasonably be expected to continue into the 2024 NFL season. The Bills should benefit from his excellence for the foreseeable future; As mentioned by Pizzuta, Oliver signed a four-year extension with Buffalo before last season, tying him to the team through the 2027 NFL campaign in a deal that is quickly looking like a bargain.