After the recent news that Micah Parsons won’t return until mid-October, there is increased concern about the edge rusher position. Although the Green Bay Packers drafted the dynamic Dani Dennis-Sutton in the fourth round, Edgerrin Cooper likely will need to help on the edge.
Reporters spotted Cooper lining up from the edge at OTAs, where he hadn’t previously played. Cooper set up across the line from Lukas Van Ness, with rookie Chris McClellan as the nose tackle and the Chris Brooks–Javon Hargrave pair alongside him.
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was inevitably going to change the defensive scheme. Historically, his schemes focus more on fitting the personnel he has, suggesting Cooper may get more reps on the edge depending on how he looks now. Cooper has already proven to be reliable in coverage, tackling, and against the run. Now for another test.
In his time in Philadelphia, Gannon emphasized his “HITS” philosophy (hustle, intensity, takeaways, smarts). For the most part, he avoided complex blitz packages and mainly relied on his front four to generate all of the pressure. Cooper fits the “HITS” model. However, we don’t know if he will as an edge rusher.
Compared to the 3-4 format Packers fans are used to seeing, these new looks feature an extra defensive lineman, opening the door for Cooper to either rush the passer or drop back into a more typical linebacker deployment. Cooper has logged sacks in his first two years, with four total and 24 pressures. However, these were mainly generated from surprise looks while he was still lined up in the middle of the field.
It’s more than likely Cooper will only be lined up on the edge in certain packages at certain points in games. However, we don’t know if he can handle it.
We know Cooper possesses great speed and agility, running a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He rallies to the ball and consistently wraps up tackles. However, being on or near the line of scrimmage is a whole new ballgame compared to being lined up behind them.
Cooper now must make even more pre-snap adjustments depending on formation, further adding to his responsibilities. More guys, like the still-unproven Ty’Ron Hopper or the newly acquired veteran Zaire Franklin, will also need to keep filling these gaps the new schemes create.
Gannon is fortunate that Cooper and Hopper have enough raw talent that he can move them around. Hopper has mostly been a question mark since being drafted but has shown flashes in previous training camps and OTAs. Cooper took a small step back this last season but could again prove valuable in Gannon’s highly adaptable system.
Moving players around the defense to find the best possible matchups may be beneficial while still waiting for Parsons’ return. After talks about acquiring yet another veteran on the defensive line fell through, more and more signs point to Gannon wanting to use his current players in as many looks as possible. As such, Edgerrin Cooper may even start the season at the edge and transition back to middle linebacker come October.
