It's no secret that linebacker Zaire Franklin, brought in to replace free-agent departure Quay Walker, struggled last season with the Colts. The Green Bay Packers are banking on a bounce-back, and if he returns anything near his 2024 All-Pro form, they will be more than satisfied.
But his on-field contributions aren't the only thing Franklin brings to the table. An eight-year pro, he provides veteran experience and leadership that Walker, a 2022 first-round draft pick, never could.Â
With Franklin in the linebacker room, Edgerrin Cooper, Ty'Ron Hopper, and even five-year vet Isaiah McDuffie have a mentor to look up to that they did not last season. The Packers needed more experience and maturity on the roster, and Franklin gives them that.
Zaire Franklin is the instructor young Packers needed
In a way, replacing Walker with Franklin is a concession from the front office: namely, relying on youth alone did not produce the desired results.Â
That approach represented a departure from the makeup of the Packers' off-ball linebacker corps in recent years. Eric Wilson wasn't an every-week starter, but in 2024, he brought a degree of veteran knowledge and professionalism that was missing last season. Green Bay let him walk in free agency. Frankly, Walker could have benefited from his influence.
And while no one would mistake former Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell as a paragon of maturity, when healthy he provided an established presence and track record - with a 2021 First Team All-Pro berth on his resume - to anchor the rotation from '21 to '23.Â
Even as Walker managed his emotions more consistently and sprouted a few gray hairs on his proverbial chin, he never became what could be called a true mentor. Dissatisfaction over his role in Green Bay resurfaced in his introductory press conference with the Raiders, who gave him a three-year contract in free agency.Â
That will not be a problem with Franklin. In his eight-year stint in Indianapolis, he established himself as a leader both on the field and off it, even as his play declined last season.Â
With the Packers, he will oversee Cooper, 24, who has two years of experience; Hopper, 25, also entering his third season; and McDuffie, 26, who has five years' experience but only three as a key contributor. That is the perfect classroom for Franklin, whose climb up the depth chart from special teams scrub to All-Pro and team captain from 2020 to 2025 allows him to relate to players like Hopper yet to make their mark.Â
Not only should Franklin be a solid starter, he'll elevate the entire rotation as a mentor and guide in a way that wasn't possible with McDuffie and Walker as last season's leaders in seniority.
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