After watching Edgerrin Cooper’s rookie season, it is awfully difficult to keep expectations in check. Cooper showed a ton of potential and flash. His speed, burst, quickness, and physicality for a linebacker is rare. The Packers have high hopes that Edgerrin Cooper will take the next step in 2025. As Cooper prepares for his second NFL season, his play can make or break the Packers defense.
Edgerrin Cooper battled injuries on a few different occasions during his rookie. He spent the majority of the 2024 training camp on the shelf as well as a month hiatus in November. Green Bay certainly hopes Cooper can stay healthy for the entirety of the 2025 season. A healthy and impressive year 2 jump for Cooper could elevate this Packers defense to a whole new level.
Cooper’s athleticism is off the charts. His speed cannot be found in most other linebackers. He really is a Swiss army knife. On multiple occasions, Cooper exploded into the backfield either for a sack or a tackle for loss. Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley told the media in May that Cooper has gained upwards of 10 pounds of muscle. The hope is that the added muscle will reduce the risk of injury. During OTAs, Cooper looked noticeably bigger but he did not appear to have lost his burst which is great news for Green Bay.
Why Edgerrin Cooper Will Take Off in 2025
According to PFF, Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper finished the 2024 season with a 84.0 overall grade. That ranks 10th out of 189 linebackers. On top of that impressive grade, Cooper graded as high as 2nd in pass rush, 32nd in run defense, and 18th in coverage. His four sacks were the 6th most in the NFL amongst linebackers. Edgerrin Cooper even went on to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of Month for December/January.
Cooper has the chance to be a great linebacker but more importantly, Cooper has a chance to be game wrecker. He has the potential to single handedly swing a game in the Packers favor. In fact, during the Packers Sunday Night Football victory in Seattle, Cooper had 7 tackles, a sack on 3rd down, and an interception. He almost had two interceptions in that game. However, he was not able to hold onto one earlier in the game.
The two keys for Cooper will be to stay healthy and continue to develop a strong understanding of the game and the defensive scheme. Along with his comments regarding Cooper’s new and improved look, Hafley told the media that Cooper is really starting to figure things out mentally. With his unique athletic ability and diverse skill set, a stronger mental aspect of his game could be a dangerous recipe.
