Paul Bretl | 4/27/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — In the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Packers added a different to their defensive front seven when they selected Oklahoma State’s Collin Oliver.
Oliver is a unique prospect, given his usage in college. During his 2023 season, Oliver played 349 snaps as an edge rusher, getting after the quarterback, and another 371 snaps in the box as an off-ball linebacker. In fact, Oklahoma State’s head coach Mike Gundy would compare Oliver to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey because of the do-it-all presence he brings to a defense.
“Whatever the defensive coordinator wants me to play,” Oliver said of his versatility. “It does not matter where I fit in at. To me, I feel like I can be a linebacker, edge rusher. I can be both. It’s whatever the defensive coordinator sees me fit. I want to play that, whatever that position is, to the best of my ability. Whether it’s linebacker or edge, whether it’s punt returner, kick returner, the quarterback, running back, whatever it is, I’m going to play it to the best of my ability.”
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When asked to get after the quarterback, whether that be as a blitzer or pass rusher, Oliver recorded 37 pressures and seven sacks, according to PFF. He was off to a fast start in 2024 as a pass rusher, totaling 14 pressures through not even two games before a foot injury ultimately ended Oliver’s season.
Oliver would mention that he was fully healed from the Jones fracture by December, and that allowed him to compete in the Senior Bowl, where, as is often the case, the Packers took notice.
“When you go back to the ’23 tape,” said Packers Director of Football Operations Milt Hendrickson, “you turn the tape on him and you can see he’s got a twitch and explosiveness off the edge that brings a little bit more of a unique skill set that way. He’s also got some versatility that’s going to allow him to potentially play some stack and then he brings incredible special teams value with his whole skill set.”
Beyond Oliver’s versatility, his size relative to the other Packers edge rushers is different as well. We all know that GM Brian Gutekunst has an affinity for bigger-bodied edge defenders, as it allows them to better hold up in the run game. Oliver, however, measured in at only 240 pounds, when typically, 255 pounds has been the line in the sand at the defensive end position for Green Bay.
As Oliver described when speaking with the local media after being selected, at that size, he wins with speed, but that isn’t all he can do. Power is also a part of Oliver’s game and works hand-in-hand with the speed element, which can often set him up to use strength to keep blockers off guard.
“It’s always speed with me,” Oliver said. “That’s what I pride myself on is my get-off and how fast I can attack the corner. And also just to do it off of that with my power makes my speed rushes that much more effective, and it also makes my power-rush moves that much more effective.”
When we look at the rest of the Packers pass rush room, not that there isn’t speed isn’t a part of that of that equation, but at 240 pounds, Oliver, if we can speak in baseball terms for a second, is going to provide a change-up. After dealing with Rashan Gary’s power on back-to-back snaps, a blocker suddenly having to handle Oliver’s speed can be a quick change to deal with in the middle of a game.
In today’s NFL, where the quick passing game often dominates, the ability to win right away, and speed is frequently a part of that, has become a premium.
“The game has evolved, especially in the last five to 10 years, where the ball gets out so quickly that you have to have guys that can win in different ways,” said Hendrickson. “And you need guys that are more than power rushers, and I think we’ve got some of those guys, too. But I think we’ve got a good group of just edge guys right now.”
Along with Gutekunst wanting his defensive ends to be able to be on the field for all three downs if that’s what is required, drafting a pass rusher who can only win one way comes with risks. Specifically, if injuries strike and that player has to see the field more, their limitations could be exposed.
Given Oliver’s size, he could be viewed as a situational pass rusher, where he’s on the field during obvious passing situations so he can just use his speed to get the quarterback. Perhaps, as a rookie, that is how he first sees playing time. But what gave the Packers the confidence to go off-script with this selection was the multi-faceted alignments he allows for up front, his ability to help out at linebacker, and the Packers see him as someone who can contribute on special teams right away.
“The niche is that he’s a really good football player,” Hendrickson said. “If you say the old-school DPR (designated pass rusher) situational pass rusher, if you want to put a tag on him right now I’d say that’s probably if you were to put him in a position that would be it. But we took him with the idea that the things coach Hafley wants to do, he’s going to allow some multi alignments that just increased his value in our eyes.”
For now, as Oliver makes the transition to the Packers’ defensive scheme and the big jump from the college to NFL level, Hendrickson said he would anticipate that Oliver starts out in the defensive end room. Then as he adjusts and get acclimated, they can potentially explore adding more to his plate, such as some linebacker responsibilities.