The Packers boast one of the NFL’s most dominant defenses, and it isn’t just because of Micah Parsons.
While Parsons’ 12.5 sacks put him on pace to set a new career-high, and he has been a driving force behind Green Bay’s dominance on that side of the ball, he isn’t the only playmaker making a significant impact ahead of the most grueling closing stretch in the league getting underway.
After a dominant rookie season where he garnered All-Pro votes, Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has picked up in 2025 right where he left off, last season.
Packers’ Edgerrin Cooper praised for his range
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
ESPN’s Matt Bowen put together a list of the 109-best players across the NFL at various key attributes, including Cooper as the linebacker with the best range at the second level in the league.
“Cooper has the run-and-hit traits to patrol the edges in the run game,” Bowen writes. “Plus he has the range to cover ground as a zone defender. He has 80 tackles this season, ranking in the top 30 for all players.”
It’s easy to see why Cooper is widely viewed as one of the league’s rising stars at linebacker.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-3 and 230-pound Cooper has forced 33 stops against the run and is holding opposing quarterbacks to a 93.8 passer rating in coverage.
On a defense that melds a blend of established star players and rising young talents, Cooper is playing his way into quickly becoming one of the latter, in just his second NFL season.
