There have been quite a few changes to the Green Bay Packers defense since they faced the Philadelphia Eagles to kick off the season in Brazil. One of the biggest changes has been the emergence of Edgerrin Cooper.
During the season-opening loss to the Eagles, the Packers rookie linebacker played only 11 snaps on defense. Cooper, who sat out the entire preseason with a hip injury, wasn’t given a prominent role immediately. Still, his talent was undeniable right away.
Over those 11 snaps, Cooper totaled four tackles and a pass breakup, earning the team’s highest defensive Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade. He was also the highest-rated special teams player.
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Naturally, Cooper’s snap count and impact began to increase throughout the season up until he suffered a hamstring injury during practice before the team’s Week 12 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
After missing three consecutive games, coach Matt LaFleur was happy to return one of his best defensive players.
“He was doing a really good job (before the injury). It’s going to be great to get him back out there,” LaFleur said leading up to a Week 15 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks. “He obviously brings an element, in terms of his speed and athleticism, adds another dimension to our defense.”
In his return, Cooper finished with a team-high seven tackles, had a sack, broke up a pair of passes, and hauled in a crucial interception to help put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.
“His stat line was obviously pretty impressive, and he made some big-time plays,” LaFleur said of Cooper postgame.
Cooper would finish his first year strong, appearing in 14 games (four starts), totaling 57 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four pass breakups, and one interception.
According to PFF, here is how Cooper’s numbers stack up against other rookie linebackers in 2024:
Defensive snaps: 4th
Tackles: 3rd
Stops: 1st
Pressures: 2nd
Sacks: 1st
Jeff Hafley’s willingness to deploy Cooper as a pass-rusher had added a dynamic element to the defense—something Philadelphia didn’t really experience earlier in the season.
How the Packers plan to utilize Cooper in Sunday’s postseason rematch will be interesting to watch play out. The Eagles have an extremely dangerous offense led by running back Saquon Barkley, who finished with 132 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in the first meeting.
Given Cooper’s speed and ability to make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage, his contributions could go a long way toward limiting one of the best players in the NFL. If he clears concussion protocol, Green Bay could also have to use Cooper to account for Jalen Hurts’ scrambling ability.
Of course, it won’t be solely on Cooper’s shoulders to stop the Eagles high-powered offense. It will take a team effort, and the Packers hope Cooper can spend significant time lining up alongside Quay Walker, which has been a rare occurrence this season. Walker hasn’t played since injuring his ankle in Week 15.
Having two healthy, athletic linebackers would give the Packers’ defense a boost for their upcoming playoff matchup. It would also be a new wrinkle for this Philadelphia team to game plan for.