No. 3 — Edgerrin Cooper

The Green Bay Packers went 11-6 last season, sweeping the NFC West and the AFC South along the way.

Overall, though, no one in the building was happy.

The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.

Afterwards, general manager Brian Gutekunst turned up the heat on everybody in the building.

“We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,” Gutekunst said. “I think it’s time we started competing for championships.”

Those are fair expectations.

The Packers return 20 of 22 starters, and appear to have upgraded the roster via free agency and the draft. With several third and fourth year players trending upward, Green Bay should be poised to make a move.

“I think they’re ready,” Gutekunst said.

Now, it’s time for the Packers to prove their G.M. right.

Green Bay’s first training camp practice is July 23. Between now and then I will count down the ‘30 Most Important Packers’ heading into the 2025 campaign.

At No. 3 is linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.

No. 3

Edgerrin Cooper, LB

Last season

Cooper missed time during training camp, then averaged just 14 snaps per game the first four weeks of 2024. He made dramatic strides, though, and finished the year with 13 tackles for loss — which led all NFL linebackers and all rookies.

“He’s special, man,” Packers defensive end Kingsley Enagbare said of Cooper. “I feel like he’s a future Hall of Famer.”

Cooper was second on the Packers with four turnover plays, fifth in sacks (3.5), fifth in passes defensed (four) and sixth in tackles (77). Cooper was also the only player in the NFL with 75-plus tackles, 13-plus tackles for loss, three-plus sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Amazingly, Cooper did all of that while playing just 45.1% of the defensive snaps.

“When he was on the field, he was dynamic and it changed our football team,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Cooper. “So, I think part of his maturation is making sure he’s himself ready to be out there each and every week.”

Career to date

Cooper (6-2, 230) was a two-year starter at weak-side linebacker at Texas A&M. The Packers traded back from pick 41 to 45 in the 2024 draft, added a fifth- and sixth-round pick in that exchange, then took Cooper at No. 45.

Cooper had 8.0 sacks in 2023 and finished his A&M career with 204 tackles (30 ½ for loss), three forced fumbles, two interceptions and 10 passes defensed. He then ran the 40-yard dash in a sizzling 4.51 seconds at the 2024 NFL Combine.

“Just speed, being able to react,” Cooper said of his greatest strengths. “Guarding fast tight ends, bringing pressure to the QBs. All those little things that can be used in all types of ways.”

Many scouts were concerned by Cooper’s score of 11 on the 50-question Wonderlic test. The Packers, though, were drawn to his speed, athleticism and intensity.

“Long kid, great athlete, plays fast, aggressive, physical and a good (special) teams player for them,” Pat Moore, the Packers’ Assistant Director of College Scouting, said of Cooper.

Outlook

In 2009, Green Bay rookie linebacker Clay Matthews finished his first season with a bang, then parlayed that into a 13.5-sack season in 2010.

Look for Cooper to have similar success in 2025.

Cooper made a large impact in 2024 despite playing just 45.1% of the defensive snaps. Amazingly, there were just three games all season Cooper played 41 snaps, or more.

Cooper bulked up to 240 pounds this offseason, maintained his explosiveness, and could be ready for a huge year.

“He’s locked in and he’s focused,” Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said of Cooper. “Now he knows what he’s doing. Your rookie year you’re kind of in survival mode a little bit too. So he just needs to be more consistent. He’s got to stay healthy and continue to improve and he’s a guy that we’re really excited about because he can do a lot of different things too.”

They Said It …

“He’s just so much more confident. Certainly, his body looks different. I don’t know if you guys could tell, but he’s like 240 pounds right now. There was a time when we came back last year when he was like 220. So, the added weight, and he still looks like he’s moving as good as he did a year ago. So, I’m really excited about him. His understanding of the detail of what he’s supposed to do and those around him, I think are going to allow him to play that much faster, which is pretty exciting.” — Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Cooper

“I just wanted to feel powerful. I felt like the explosiveness was there, but there ain’t no problem being a little bit bigger as long as you can move the same. That’s how I felt about it.” — Cooper on why he got bigger this offseason

“We talked and sometimes joked about he might’ve had that gap, but he made the play over there, right? Like, there was a toss run over there that instead of going over the top of the blocker, somehow he ran underneath the blocker and still made a TFL. Now it’s getting the details down. Now it’s lining up exactly where he needs to line up and doing it over and over and over again because then he’s going to show up faster and he’s going to make more plays and he’s going to become a more consistent player.” — Packers’ defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley on Cooper’s ability to make plays

THE TOP 30

• No. 30 — RB MarShawn Lloyd

• No. 29 — WR Dontayvion Wicks

• No. 28 — S Javon Bullard

• No. 27 — WR Savion Williams

• No. 26 — LB Isaiah McDuffie

• No. 25 — OL Jordan Morgan

• No. 24 — WR Matthew Golden

• No. 23 — CB Carrington Valentine

• No. 22 — WR Romeo Doubs

• No. 21 — QB Malik Willis

• N0. 20 — DE Lukas Van Ness

• No. 19 — RG Sean Rhyan

• No. 18 — LT Rasheed Walker

• No. 17 — DT Devonte Wyatt

• No. 16 — S Evan Williams

• No. 15 — CB Nate Hobbs

• No. 14 — LB Quay Walker

• No. 13 — OL Aaron Banks

• No. 12 — CB Keisean Nixon

• No. 11 — K Brandon McManus

• No. 10 — TE Tucker Kraft

• No. 9 — WR Jayden Reed

• No. 8 — DT Kenny Clark

• No. 7 — RT Zach Tom

• No. 6 — Elgton Jenkins

• No. 5 — DE Rashan Gary

• No. 4 — Josh Jacobs