Packers Edgerrin Cooper Could Contend For Honors Instantly

With one of their second-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. He was the first linebacker of the draft class off the board at No. 45 as the position has been devalued around the league.

That made for an excellent outcome for the Packers, who landed a potential plug-and-play starter nearly midway through the second round. Not only did the selection of Edgerrin Cooper have value, but it also fit a huge need.

One of the major moves Green Bay made in the offseason was moving on from defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who had a 3-4 base. He was replaced by Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley, who runs a 4-3 system.

With some of the linebackers from recent seasons now being defensive ends, there was a need at the second level of the defense. Cooper should fill that void immediately alongside Quay Walker, giving the Packers a dynamic twosome to rely on that can play sideline to sideline.

“Schematically, he’d be best as a ‘Will’ linebacker in even fronts for a team that uses a lot of man coverage and fire zone blitzes,” B/R scout Matt Holder wrote. “That will allow play-callers to take advantage of his ability to impact the passing game, as he’s a good coverage ‘backer and blitzer.”

That could certainly lead to Edgerrin Cooper racking up some numbers as a rookie. He is a great fit for what Hafley will be doing defensively, which is as good of a reason as any that Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report named the Texas A&M product one of the under-the-radar defenders who could contend for some hardware in 2024.

There are two things players need to win awards in the NFL; opportunity and talent. Edgerrin Cooper has both in spades, as the Packers are going to be relying on him early and often in 2024.

“As we move into this kind of new defense where maybe we have a few more linebacker body types, these are exactly the kind of guys that we’re looking for—the guys that can run and hit,” Gutekunst told reporters.

He and Walker are both versatile players who can make an impact as a run defender, blitzing the quarterback or dropping back into coverage. Those skill sets mean they won’t have to come off the field very often, providing the opportunity to rack up statistics.