We all know Micah Parsons is the X-factor of the Green Bay Packers’ defense. Still, Edgerrin Cooper might be Jonathan Gannon’s most versatile chess piece because of his ability to affect the game both as a pass rusher and a coverage defender.
Cooper was one of Green Bay’s biggest breakout players as a rookie. He didn’t open the season as a starter, but his role kept growing as the year went on. Despite playing only 491 defensive snaps, he finished with 3.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and 13 tackles for loss. To put that into perspective, those 491 snaps accounted for only 45% of the Packers’ total defensive snaps.
Notably, his strong rookie campaign earned him a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America 2024 All-Rookie Team. He also led all NFL rookies with 21 havoc plays, a category that combines sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions, pass breakups, and forced fumbles. No other rookie reached more than 17.
Two sequences against the Jacksonville Jaguars highlight how Cooper can impact a game. In the first, he powered through Mitch Morse and quickly got into the backfield, forcing Trevor Lawrence off his spot.
As Lawrence tried to escape and extend the play, Cooper stayed with him, eventually stripping the ball while finishing the tackle. Devonte Wyatt jumped on the loose fumble at Jacksonville’s five-yard line. The Packers scored a touchdown two plays later.
On the Jaguars’ next drive, Green Bay faced a third-and-11 at Jacksonville’s 29-yard line. Cooper lined up just a yard off the line of scrimmage over the right guard, giving the look of an impending blitz. He took a step forward at the snap before quickly dropping into coverage.
He matched up with Christian Kirk in the middle of the field as Lawrence tried to hit him for a potential chunk gain. The pass looked on target, but Cooper recovered late and got a hand on the ball to break it up and force a punt. It was a 39-yard drop into coverage from his starting point. That’s a defensive back-style play. Cooper is over 225 lbs.; he’s not supposed to be moving like that.
Going into 2025, he drew praise from Matt LaFleur during OTAs, with the head coach noting noticeable physical development over the offseason.
He’s so much more confident. Certainly, his body looks different. He’s like 240 lbs. now. The added weight, and he still looks like he’s moving as good as he did a year ago. I’m really excited about him. Just his understanding of the detail of what he’s supposed to do and those around him, that’s going to allow him to play that much faster, which is pretty exciting.
The 2024 second-round pick may not have produced the same highlight-reel moments he delivered as a rookie. Still, he was highly productive in a full-time role. Cooper appeared in and started all 16 games, finishing the season with 118 total tackles (61 solo), 0.5 sacks, four passes defended, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
The former Texas A&M product will turn 25 this November. He’s entering what should be his prime years. At this stage, there is not another player on Green Bay’s roster who matches his combination of traits as a gap shooter and coverage defender.
That kind of versatility could be a major asset for Jonathan Gannon, giving him a flexible piece he can deploy in multiple ways to maximize both his own defensive structure and the impact of Micah Parsons around him. In that sense, Edgerrin Cooper becomes a valuable complement in unlocking the front’s full potential.
