A Packers pass rush specialist is flying under the radar on the edge defender conversations heading into the 2026 season
Collin Oliver missed most of his rookie season because of a hamstring injury, but is now ready to contribute.
The Green Bay Packers pass rush conversation this offseason has centered on Micah Parsons’ recovery timeline and the edge defender rotation without him. Parsons is expected to miss the first month of the 2026 regular season. That’s dominated the discussion for good reason. But a second-year player from last year‘s fifth-round class deserves more attention than he’s getting: edge defender Collin Oliver.
The depth chart without Parsons
Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorell are expected to start at edge defender while Parsons is out. Dani Dennis-Sutton and Brenton Cox should serve as the primary rotational pieces behind them. Green Bay invested heavily in the position over the past few drafts, taking Sorell and Dennis-Sutton with fourth-round picks, and Cox has been part of the rotation for multiple years now.
Oliver doesn’t fit neatly into that group, and that’s part of why he’s gone overlooked. He missed almost his entire rookie season on the physically unable to perform list because of a serious hamstring injury carried over from college. The Packers activated him from PUP for Week 18, and he played 31 defensive snaps plus 10 special teams snaps against the Minnesota Vikings.
That game was meaningless for Green Bay, but it was far from meaningless for Oliver or for Minnesota. He lined up against Vikings starters along the offensive line and still produced two pressures and a stop. For a player who had been sidelined all season, that was a promising flash.
An undersized hybrid with pass rush upside
Oliver is an edge defender/off-ball linebacker hybrid, and he’s an outlier compared to the body types the Packers typically prefer at the position. At 6-2, 240 pounds, he’s undersized for an edge rusher. When Green Bay drafted him, he could have gone to either room, but the front office chose to develop him as an edge defender first. That’s still his expected role heading into Year 2.
General manager Brian Gutekunst expressed genuine excitement about Oliver’s potential earlier this year.
“That last game was really nice to get him out there to see what he could do,” Gutekunst said. “He can really run, and then his ability to chase the quarterback is something that you need in this league. I think there’s a lot of versatility and upside in Collin.”
Where Oliver fits in Jonathan Gannon’s defense
Oliver may never be a complete, every-down player at the position because of his size limitations as a run defender. But he doesn’t need to be. The Packers run a 3-4 base under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, and that scheme creates more help up front along the defensive line. A designated pass rusher can thrive in that structure without being asked to set the edge against the run on every snap.
That role is where Oliver’s skill set makes the most sense. He’s a talented pass rusher with closing speed and the ability to chase quarterbacks, which is exactly what Gutekunst highlighted. The Packers need juice on the edge while Parsons recovers, and Oliver offers a different dimension than the other rotational options in the room.
He’s a developmental piece, not a finished product. But the circumstances in Green Bay this September could accelerate his opportunity.