One of the big moves that the Green Bay Packers made this offseason was changing defensive coordinators. Joe Barry is out after three seasons on the job and was replaced by Jeff Hafley, who was the head coach at Boston College.
With Hafley taking over, the Packers’ defense will look a lot different. Not only has the front office spent the offseason adding talent to the unit, the Hafley runs a 4-3 defense, a major change from the 3-4 base that Barry used.
That means edge rushers from recent seasons, such as Preston Smith, Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, who were considered linebackers are now defensive ends. It also means an adjustment to the linebackers who are on the roster, as roles could change.
In need of some reinforcements at the position, the Packers used a second-round pick, No. 45 overall, on Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. It was a selection that NFL analyst Matt Miller was a big fan of.
Over at ESPN, Miller put a list together of his favorite picks, consisting of steals and fits as well. Coming in at No. 37 on that list was Cooper, as Miller loves what he will bring to the Green Bay defense in 2024 and beyond.
“The modern NFL requires playmakers at linebacker who can run down quarterbacks, use length to take away passing lanes and stack up against the run. I saw Cooper do all of that last season at Texas A&M. He’s a true three-down threat to offenses and should be playing next to Quay Walker in the starting lineup in Week 1,” Miller wrote.
In his pre-draft rankings, Cooper came in as the No. 27 prospect. Getting him at No. 45 presents major value to the Packers in Miller’s opinion, which is part of what made this selection such a strong one.
With the Aggies, Cooper showcased elite sideline-to-sideline athleticism, able to make an impact as a run defender and in pass coverage. Combining with Quay Walker, one of the holdovers from last season, gives the Packers a potentially elite combo to rely on at the second level of their defense for years to come.
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