Stock rising? 281-pound DT Ed Oliver runs faster short shuttle than Saquon Barkley

[papasmurfbell]

https://sports.yahoo.com/stock-rising-290-pound-dt-ed-oliver-runs-faster-short-shuttle-than-saquon-barkley-190130731.html?fbclid=iwar1i412k-k0xtsjot6ifwrpwekil0gzw6bioo6e-yqrits9fstkvai4ws6c

 

 

 

Considering a position switch for Oliver

The Cougars played Oliver as a nose tackle the majority of the time, but that felt like a waste of his considerable skills. It’s less that he can’t play in the trenches; after all, this is a player who was so impactful prior to his final year of college that it prompted actual NCAA rule changes — now known as the “Ed Oliver Rule” to some — for how players can be blocked.

Like Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray, Oliver is a player who is so much of a unicorn that he’s likely to break some NFL draft paradigms in terms of size, athletic skill and positional norms.

It’s to the point where some teams are kicking around the idea of moving Oliver all over the field, perhaps even to standup linebacker. It’s a bit reminiscent of former undersized Arizona nose tackle Tedy Bruschi, who made a darned good career in the NFL of playing on his feet as a linebacker with the New England Patriots during their first run of Super Bowl titles.

If Oliver has the instincts to match that athleticism, why wouldn’t NFL teams experiment with such a switch? Oliver spoke about that and how teams have asked him about potentially playing other positions:

He sounds like he could a monster AD type.