Houston DT Ed Oliver announces he will leave for 2019 draft

If teams miss out on top defensive linemen in the 2018 NFL Draft next month, they will have a chance to scoop one up next year.

Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who will be a junior next season, announced on Monday that he will enter the 2019 draft.

“This was a dream of mine coming in,” Oliver said in a statement shared by the university. “I knew I was going on a business trip, and whether my business trip was three years or four years it just depended on how early I got on the field and how effective I was.”

Oliver won the Outland Trophy for his play last season. He had 73 tackles — 16.5 for a loss — as a sophomore last season. The year before, he had 65 tackles — 22 for a loss.

As you could imagine with a player declaring this far in advance of the draft, Oliver is expected to be a high first-round pick next year.