After anchoring the defense as a high-volume starter in 2025, Edgerrin Cooper prepares to unleash his playmaking versatility under a new coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.
We're officially 6 days from the start of the 2026 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Whether you're ready or not, football season is here.
The Packers kick off their 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Talk about pressure. The Vikings are certainly in a transitional place as a franchise, but getting going against an NFC North foe ratchets up the intensity of this season from the get-go.
It's a big season for the Packers. There's a belief that they're in a Super Bowl window right now, which means every single game is important. That means the intensity will be there in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and it will certainly be there in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when the Packers will play at Lambeau Field for the first time in 2026.
There's going to be a lot of proverbial ink spilled on this 2026 season and we here at PackersRoundtable hope that you spend as much time as possible with us talking about the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Packers.
As we prepare for the 2026 season, though, we're going to kick things off with a rankings series looking at the Top 50 Packers heading into the 2025 season.
At No. 6 we linebacker Edgerrin Cooper
Ranking the Top 50 Packers Heading Into 2026: No. 6, Edgerrin Cooper
Dec 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (56) celebrates with cornerback Carrington Valentine (24) after Cooper intercepted the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.Edgerrin Cooper burst onto the scene as a second-round rookie in 2024 and it looked like the Packers immediately had a superstar on their hands.
The 45th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, Cooper notched 87 tackles (57 solo), 13 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, four passes defended, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one interception and 3.5 sacks as a rookie.
He played in only 14 games, with four starts, due to injury, and it seemed like the 2025 season was going to be his breakout.
The Packers made Cooper a starter next to Quay Walker and he ended up starting in 16 games. His snap count went up from 491 to 1,046. Another way to look at it: He went from playing 55-percent of the snaps for the 2024 defense to 99-percent last season.
Cooper took on a bigger role and the numbers went down a bit, because it was also a different role.
He went from being asked to simply go out and make plays as a rookie to being an every down, steady presence between the tackles for former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Cooper ultimately played great in year two (he was graded 16th amongst 88 linebackers, according to PFF), but the explosive plays went down a little bit.
The hope moving forward is that new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will unleash Cooper a bit and let him be the terror he was as a rookie.
He has the physical talent and game-processing ability to be a perennial All-Pro.
2025 Synopsis:
In 16 games played with 16 starts, Cooper tallied 118 tackles (63 solo), four tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, four passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and half a sack.
Notable Quotables:
'I made a promise to myself to go 110% every day" - Edgerrin Cooper
Projected Role in 2026:
Cooper should be used to get more pressure on the quarterback in 2026, especially with Micah Parsons sidelined for a team, and that's going to up his ability to make game-changing plays. He'll be an All-Pro in 2026.
Previous Rankings:
