For years, the Green Bay Packers were one of the oldest teams in the NFL. Well-regarded veterans like Aaron Rodgers, Marcedes Lewis, and Randall Cobb may have driven the average age of the roster up a way, but the fact remains that the Packers rarely saw young rookie players have significant impacts on the team. Instead, Rodgers and his veteran offense breezed through the regular season, only to fall short in the playoffs.
Defensively, the Packers have struggled to find an identity for a long time. Despite the fact that they almost always utilized their first-round pick on a defensive player, the defense has yet to perform to a level that would warrant that kind of investment.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Brought in Jeff Hafley as Defensive Coordinator
One of the first moves that the Packers made after they were eliminated by the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs was to fire defensive coordinator Joe Barry. To replace him, head coach Matt LaFleur hired Jeff Hafley, who had been the head coach at Boston College.
Hafley has instituted many changes since taking the job, including switching the Packers’ defensive scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3. He has also told players to “think less” in an effort to make them more aggressive. His approach has drawn rave reviews from his players thus far.
Over the past few seasons, another thing that the Packers have done is to continue keeping their defense young. Currently, Preston Smith is the oldest player on the entire roster, and he is just 30 years old.
They continued that trend during the 2024 NFL Draft by selecting two new linebackers to help replace De’Vondre Campbell, who was released earlier this offseason.
One of these linebackers, Edgerrin Cooper, really impressed his head coach during OTA’s.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Had High Praise for Edgerrin Cooper
According to Mike Spofford of packers.com, LaFleur was very impressed with a play Cooper made in which he sniffed out a bit of deception the offense was trying:
“Without divulging any schematic details, Head Coach Matt LaFleur noted after the final minicamp practice that he called a play designed to fool or deceive Cooper in some way, but the second-round draft pick from Texas A&M didn’t bite.
“‘I thought for sure we were going to get him on (it), and he did a heck of a job,’ LaFleur said. ‘I was kind of teasing the other coaches, ‘Did you preview him for that play?’ And they did not.
‘So, that’s a credit to him and just how engaged he’s been and how locked in he’s been throughout the course of the offseason.'”
Cooper is expected to be on the Packers’ starting linebackers alongside Quay Walker. If Walker takes a third-year leap playing in a more player-friendly system, and if Cooper already has this level of instincts, Green Bay could have their best linebacker group in a very long time this season.
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