Edgerrin Cooper has flashed star potential since the Green Bay Packers spent a second-round pick on him two years ago. Pro Football Focus thinks 2026 is when he takes the leap into the league’s elite.
PFF’s Gordon McGuinness named Cooper the Packers’ breakout candidate for the 2026 season, pointing to a young linebacker whose ceiling is nearly as high as it gets at the position.
Edgerrin Cooper Named Packers’ Breakout Candidate
McGuinness’ case for Cooper is based on two years of steady, high-level play from the linebacker.
“Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has impressed since entering the NFL as a second-round draft pick in 2024, earning PFF grades above 75.0 in both seasons,” McGuinness wrote. “In his first year as a full-time starter, he ranked 17th in the NFL with 45 tackles resulting in defensive stops during the regular season. Another strong campaign could put him firmly in the conversation as one of the league’s top linebackers, behind only Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers.”
That’s some lofty company. Warner is a four-time All-Pro widely regarded as the gold standard at the position.
Why Edgerrin Cooper Could Join the NFL’s Elite Linebackers
Cooper led all rookies and every off-ball linebacker in the league with 13 tackles for loss despite playing a part-time role for much of the season in 2024. His 91.3 PFF grade from Week 15 on that season led all NFL linebackers on the way to All-Rookie honors, along with two Defensive Player of the Week nods and a Defensive Player of the Month award.
His 17 tackles for loss over his first two seasons are the most by a Packer in that span since Clay Matthews III racked up 35 in 2009 and 2010, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Year 2 was more of a grind, however. Cooper played and started in 16 games, finishing with 118 total tackles and led the Packers in solo stops, settling into an every-down role. His coverage remained his calling card, as his 76.5 PFF coverage grade ranked seventh among all linebackers.
The recognition has started to catch up. Cooper cracked ESPN’s top 10 linebackers this offseason for the first time, a survey of coaches, executives and scouts, after going unranked a year earlier. He ranked ninth while Warner was No. 1.
His importance for the Packers for the 2026 season only grows, though.
Cooper is expected to take on a new role under first-year defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, with veteran Zaire Franklin brought in via trade to complement him at the second level. And with Micah Parsons sidelined to start the season while recovering from a torn ACL and Quay Walker, Green Bay will lean on its young linebacker even more to set the tone on defense.
Cooper’s talent has never been the question. He can rush, cover and fly to the ball, and he’s already shown flashes of elite play in bursts. If he can find a way to put all that together consistently, along with staying healthy this season, McGuinness’s projection of chasing a player like Warner may not be too far fetched.
“He has the size, speed and run-and-hit ability that few have,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “He can really go.”
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