Buffalo Bills rookie defensive tackle Ed Oliver was named to the Pro Football Writers’ Association’s All-Rookie team on Tuesday following a stellar first year in the NFL.
Oliver, who was tabbed by the Bills with the No. 9 overall selection out of the University of Houston, finished the 2019 season with five sacks while appearing in all 16 games for the Bills (10-6). Oliver made seven starts and finished with 43 total tackles (24 solo and 19 assisted) with eight quarterback hits, five tackles for a loss, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Oliver was named to PFWA’s All-Rookie team among defensive linemen, along with defensive ends Josh Allen (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers) and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants).
During his rookie season, Oliver paced all rookie interior defensive lineman in sacks. He recorded a sack in three straight games from Weeks 11-13, joining Darryl Talley (1983) as the only rookies in franchise history to record a sack in three consecutive games.
Oliver was Buffalo’s only rookie to make the team, as running back Devin Singletary missed out in favor of Josh Jacobs (Oakland Raiders) and Miles Sanders (Philadelphia Eagles). Singletary ran for 775 yards and two touchdowns on 151 carries (an average of 5.1 yards per rush) while adding 29 receptions for 194 yards with two TDs.