When Quay Walker went down, the Green Bay Packers linebacker room looked dire. It had one journeyman in Eric Wilson, a core special teamer in Isaiah McDuffie, and a flashy but unproven rookie in Edgerrin Cooper.
Last Sunday in Jacksonville, Cooper proved he’s Green Bay’s best linebacker. Those flashes are becoming more common, while the mistakes are becoming fewer with more snaps for the second-round pick.
Cooper had made some splash plays during his limited reps through the first eight weeks of the season, but the rookie mistakes were there. An injury kept Cooper out for most of training camp and preseason, so he could not hit the ground running at the start of the season. He was essentially fourth on the depth chart, with Walker, McDuffie, and Wilson seeing most of the reps.
Walker suffered his injury two weeks ago, allowing Cooper to see the field more often. Hafley has shifted Green Bay’s defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3. More often than not, three linebackers are on the field, meaning more snaps for Cooper, Wilson, McDuffie, and Walker.
With Walker down, the Packers have no choice but to have all three of Cooper, McDuffie, and Wilson on the field simultaneously. The snap counts of the last game reflect that:
- Wilson 57
- McDuffie 38
- Cooper 34
Wilson was the No. 1 linebacker after his impressive performance against the Houston Texans last week. He’s having a terrific season, making big plays for Green Bay’s defense.
But watching this play from Cooper that changed the game, it’s hard not to love this kid:
Cooper explodes through the shoulder of the center and fights him off as he heads straight for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Cooper does a fantastic job of getting the ball out on his wrap-up of Lawrence. Even without the strip, he would have taken Lawrence down for a huge loss.
Cooper’s athletic ability is unique. That’s not something that normal linebackers should be able to do.
Cooper has to bail on this blitz from the line of scrimmage as he fakes the rush on the A-gap. He then has to follow Christian Kirk, who runs a 4.46 40-yard dash and is known for his deep-ball ability. Cooper is a step behind. Still, the ability to catch up and then make a play on the ball is uncanny from a linebacker, let alone a rookie thrust into a starting role.
There is a way you are supposed to tackle, and then there is this:
The rookie straight-up mounts Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby to bring him down. Aside from that, this is an impressive play from Cooper, who switches with Wilson, which lands Cooper right in the gap. Cooper then launches into the ball carrier to make a sweet play for a little gain on a critical third down.
According to PFF, Cooper was second on Green Bay’s defense with a 74.3 grade, which boosted his overall grade to 69.5. Cooper had his highest pass-rushing grade in the win over Jacksonville.
“[Cooper] provides a lot of speed for us, especially on the second level,” safety Xavier McKinney said.
“He can cover. He can rush. It allows us to do a whole lot more on the back end, just mix in different calls, and he’s been a great addition for us. Obviously, he’s still learning and going through bumps here and there, but that’s why guys like me — I’m here — and other leaders on this defense, that’s why we’re here to get him through that. But he’s been good overall.”
While the Packers lost a lot of experience when Walker went down, Cooper has stepped up and made important plays. Even when Walker comes back, Cooper deserves more snaps. He’s proven he can be a difference-maker for Green Bay.
All stats and data via ESPN, Green Bay Packers, PFF, and Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
