Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst made several excellent additions to the team’s roster this offseason. In free agency, splash signings were made on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, it was running back Josh Jacobs, who comes to Green Bay from the Las Vegas Raiders. Defensively, it was safety Xavier McKinney, who left the New York Giants to lead the Packers’ secondary.
But, in the opinion of Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report, neither of those players was the most dangerous addition made by the Packers this offseason. That designation, in Fowler’s opinion, falls upon rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
In the second round, No. 45 overall, the Packers selected the Texas A&M product. He was the first linebacker off the board, as the league’s devaluing of the position led to Green Bay hitting on value and need on Day 2.
“To see what Cooper could offer the Packers, check out his tape against Alabama, especially his chase-down of potential 2024 Heisman candidate Jalen Milroe as a quarterback spy,” Fowler wrote.
Last season with the Aggies, Cooper stuffed the stat sheet. He recorded 84 total tackles in 12 games and lived in the opponent’s backfield. Cooper recorded 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks, showcasing his elite burst and game-breaking ability.
It was a huge jump in production in several areas, as he took full advantage of the opportunity to play more. In his first three seasons in college, he had only 121 total tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
The Packers could end up having one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL very soon. Edgerrin Cooper, combined with Quay Walker, gives defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley two incredible athletes to rely on at the second level of the defense.
Both have the athleticism to get the job done in pass coverage while playing sideline-to-sideline in the run game. Cooper has flashed pass-rushing potential as well, making him a potential three-down terror once he gets going in his development.
