The Green Bay Packers have become renowned for their ability to figure out the best way to replenish young talent on the fly in the NFL Draft, and Brian Gutekunst may have pulled off one of his finest talent injections yet in 2024 by defensive starters like linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard.
Cooper, who was picked alongside fellow 2024 linebacker draftee and third-round choice Ty'Ron Hopper, immediately established himself as the best inside linebacker in this class. His rookie year was better than almost anyone could have expected from the Texas A&M product.
Due to the fact that he was a rookie linebacker in a small market who didn't come on strong until the end of the season, Cooper doesn't have the same level of hype that many other rookie standouts have. That could all start to change in 2025, especially if Cooper replicates his performance from last year.
CBS Sports ranked Cooper as one of five players who could break out during his sophomore year. After Cooper's rookie season put him up there with some of the best linebackers in the league, it stands to reason that he should be able to continue his upward ascension in the pros.
Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper named breakout candidate by CBS
Cooper's PFF grade of 84.0 put him at No. 10 overall among 189 inside linebackers in the league. His pass rush grade of 90.1 had him ranked second among all linebackers (Bobby Wagner had him beat out), suggesting that defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley should use him more in this area.
Cooper has already been heralded for his ability to quickly diagnose plays and his vice grip tackling skill, but the fact that he tallied almost 100 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a rookie despite playing just 55% of Green Bay's defensive snaps should crystallize how impressive he has been.
The Packers have a solid quarterback in Jordan Love, but his propensity for high-variance play and turning the ball over means that this team isn't going to do much of anything in a very tough NFC North without this defense being able to replicate its success from past seasons.
Green Bay appears to have found someone who can operate in the middle of their defense for the next 10 years with legitimate Pro Bowl upside. A breakout second season for Cooper might be all he needs to confirm his elite status within the NFL.