A mock draft that considers Ed Oliver over Quinnen Williams

This is something a little different than what we’re used to.

We’ve had extensive debate about whether the San Francisco 49ers should consider Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams or Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen with the No. 2 overall pick. Allen is showing up in the vast majority of mock drafts, with Williams second. It will remain that way for the most part, but Thursday brought an intriguing alternate.

USA Today writer Doug Farrar put together his first 2019 NFL mock draft leading up to the Combine. He had Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa first off the board, but then sent Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver to the 49ers at No. 2. He had Quinnen Williams going No. 3 to the New York Jets and Josh Allen No. 4 to the Oakland Raiders.

Most analysts have Williams over Oliver, so Farrar is one of the exceptions in that regard. Here’s what he had to say about Oliver to the 49erss and Williams to the Jets.

Oliver to 49ers: “The 49ers have DeForest Buckner and a cavalcade of situational defensive linemen of varying quality, but outside of Buckner, there isn’t a transcendent guy capable of demolishing an offensive line with speed and power. Oliver makes a ton of sense here—there are few interior defensive linemen over the last decade with his acceleration off the snap, freakish athleticism, and ability to bull through the pocket. There are times when Oliver plays too fast and will run himself right out of the play, but when he’s on, the 6’3”, 292-pound Houston alum makes if virtually impossible for any one offensive lineman to deal with him on a snap-to-snap basis.”

Williams to Jets: “The Jets’ defensive line has been obliterated over the last few years, and that’s part of an overall talent drain that makes some wonder why general manager Mike Maccagnan is still in place. That notwithstanding, Williams would be an excellent choice to help solidify that line again. I don’t personally put him as the top interior lineman as many do—Ed Oliver holds that spot for me—but despite his pack of a consistent bull-rush and tendency to disappear at times, Williams also has splashes of highlight plays in which he shows his able potential. New Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will know how to bring the best out of Williams’ potential.”

I asked Doug why he had Oliver over Williams, and he had this to say:

I followed that up by asking about Buckner’s work as a 3-technique.

What do folks think about Oliver vs. Williams vs. Allen? We’ve had extensive discussion about Williams vs. Allen, but Oliver is an intriguing option. Former NFL lineman Stephen White broke down Oliver’s game for SB Nation. He thinks he was played out of position as a zero nose, and even still was a big-time impact player. If you can’t see the poll below, click here.