Packers rookie Collin Oliver produces 4 pressures in NFL debut

6 days ago 2

He doesn't want to be called "Baby Micah," but Green Bay Packers defensive end Collin Oliver put together a disruptive NFL debut during Sunday's regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

According to Next Gen Stats, Oliver produced four pressures on only 15 pass-rushing snaps. Two of the four pressures resulted in a quarterback hit. Oliver also had a tackle for loss when he chased down Ty Chandler on a screen pass to end a third down play in the fourth quarter.

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Oliver, a fifth-round pick in 2025, sat out all of training camp and the first 17 weeks of the regular season while rehabbing multiple hamstring injuries. He returned to practice in December, was signed to the 53-man roster and finally made his pro debut on Sunday. The Packers played him 31 snaps while resting key starters.

Like several other young players, Oliver took advantage.

Both of Oliver's quarterback hits came in the first quarter. On the first, he disengaged late in the rep and hit J.J. McCarthy as he moved right and threw downfield. On the next series, Oliver identified a bootleg to his side, closed down McCarthy as he moved to his right and tripped up the quarterback -- forcing a wild incompletion.

In the second quarter, Oliver pushed Brian O'Neil into the pocket and helped pressure McCarthy outside the pocket. Later in the quarter, he powered O'Neil backwards but the ball was out before his rush impacted the play. For a smaller edge rusher, Oliver proved capable of converting speed into power.

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"It felt great," Oliver told Larry McCarren of Packers.com. "It felt great to be out there."

The matchup against O'Neil, a veteran right tackle, was a tough one. Oliver mostly held his own.

Seeing his talent, some teammates have nicknamed Oliver as "Baby Micah." But the Packers rookie isn't a fan.

"I'd rather not be called that, not going to lie. I'm my own man. Micah is Micah Parsons. I'm not even going to entertain that. I'm Collin Oliver."

Can Oliver help the Packers next week in Chicago?

"Whatever opportunity I get, presented my way, I'm going to go out there and play my ass off," Oliver said.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers rookie Collin Oliver produces 4 pressures in NFL debut

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