The Green Bay Packers selected Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper with the 45th pick. The Packers moved back from pick No. 41 after a trade with the Saints to take the 6-2, 230-pound Cooper who will have an opportunity at inside linebacker after Green Bay moved on from former All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell this offseason.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Cooper ranked No. 46 on Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
A two-year starter at Texas A&M, Cooper lined up as a Will linebacker in defensive coordinator DJ Durkin’s 4-2-5 base scheme, also seeing snaps wide as a nickel or on the defensive line. Although 2023 was a forgettable season for the program, the Aggies’ defense ranked top 10 nationally and Cooper was the catalyst, leading the team in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles (only prospect in this class who can say that).
An above-average athlete for his size, Cooper beelines to the football with outstanding closing burst and aggressive tackling. Though he has elite arm length, he can be better at shooting his hands to escape blocks.
Overall, Cooper has some undisciplined tendencies and will run himself out of plays, but he is a fast-flowing linebacker who can run and cover. He has the explosive traits to be a regular on special teams as a rookie and grow into a three-down linebacker role in the NFL.
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Coaching intel
What two anonymous coaches had to say about Cooper in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“He’s got a ton of physical talent. He is explosive and strong, and has really long (34-inch) arms.”
“Awesome athlete. Makes a ton of plays. There are times when he doesn’t diagnose it well, but he can cover well, and he will light guys up.”
Jeff Hafley will enjoy coaching Edgerrin Cooper pic.twitter.com/49oSpmVpBZ
— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) April 27, 2024
Scott Dochterman’s grade: C+
Green Bay’s biggest need was in the secondary, and trading down four spots cost it three different cornerbacks. That stings a bit, but the Packers also had a need at linebacker and they got the most physically gifted one in the draft in Cooper. In 2023, Cooper had 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks for the Aggies, along with 83 tackles, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed. With 34-inch arms, an 80-inch wingspan and a 4.51-second 40-yard dash, Cooper (6-2, 230) could shift to a full-service linebacker position beyond off the ball.
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How he fits
General manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Packers were “pretty thin” at inside linebacker. He wanted to add bodies, especially because of the schematic switch under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to a 4-3 base defense. Not long after, Green Bay released De’Vondre Campbell, the most experienced inside linebacker on the roster. Cooper led the Aggies in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles, the only prospect in the draft to do so. Texas A&M had a top-10 defense, too.
Rookie impact
Gutekunst had said that although Hafley’s base defense is a 4-3 with three inside linebackers, the Packers’ base defense will essentially be a nickel defense with fewer inside linebackers on the field. If Cooper can showcase the play-making ability in Green Bay that he flashed at Texas A&M, he should be able to find snaps. Brugler notes that Cooper has the traits to be a regular special teams contributor right away, which special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will covet.
Depth-chart impact
If the majority of Green Bay’s defensive alignments will feature two inside linebackers, the only one who’s a safe bet to be on the field is 2022 first-round pick Quay Walker. Walker tweeted shortly after the pick, “Got my partner in crime!” It’ll be either Cooper or Isaiah McDuffie alongside Walker, and perhaps all three of them at times. Brugler’s scouting report of Cooper reads like one for Walker — “an above-average athlete for his size, Cooper beelines to the football with outstanding closing burst and aggressive tackling. Though he has elite arm length, he can be better at shooting his hands to escape blocks. Overall, Cooper has some undisciplined tendencies and will run himself out of plays, but he is a fast-flowing linebacker who can run and cover.”
They also could have picked …
The Eagles traded a pick above the Packers at No. 41 to take popular Packers mock pick Cooper DeJean, the defensive back from Iowa. Green Bay then traded back four spots with the Saints, who took Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. Gutekunst said Thursday that he likes his group of cornerbacks and went inside linebacker instead. He could’ve also gone with Western Michigan edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland, Michigan inside linebacker Junior Colson, Georgia safety Javon Bullard or Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin.
Fast evaluation
With Walker and Cooper possessing seemingly similar skill sets, it’ll be interesting to see how they pair together and where McDuffie factors into the equation. This was one of Green Bay’s top positions of need and they got the first inside linebacker off the board to sure up the middle of Hafley’s defense, which looks to feature a couple of aggressive, athletic, hard-hitting linebackers.
(Photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
