The Green Bay Packers have been slid under the radar for most of the offseason despite back to back playoff appearances and a talented young roster. However, as the 2025 NFL season approaches, there are signs another rising star is emerging, this time on the defensive side of the ball: linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. After a rookie campaign that saw him step up as one of the league’s most promising young defenders, Cooper is now being touted as the Packers’ next defensive superstar.
Cooper’s rookie season was marked by steady improvement and a late-season surge. Using a four-week rolling average of Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades to smooth out game-to-game fluctuations, it’s clear that Cooper is rapidly improving. He started the year with his grades oscillating between the 60s and 70s, even dipping below 60 at one point. But as the season progressed and Cooper gained more experience and playing time, his performance shot up like a rocket, climbing above 70 and eventually hovering around an 80 PFF grade by season’s end.
This trajectory is especially notable because it bucks the common “rookie wall” narrative: a common situation where young players fade as the season wears on. Instead, Cooper adapted and improved, a key trait of future stars. Superstars tend to figure out the NFL, the NFL doesn’t figure out them. Guys that don’t have staying power get figured out. That wasn’t the case with Cooper.
What really jumps off the page with Edgerrin Cooper is how his rookie production stacks up against some of the best linebackers in recent memory. When compared to the rookie seasons of Bobby Wagner, Fred Warner, and Roquan Smith—all Pro Bowl or All-Pro talents—Cooper’s PFF grades were eye-opening. In several categories, including overall grade, run defense, pass rush, and coverage, Cooper exceeded Warner and Smith, and was right on par with Wagner.
Beyond analytics, Cooper’s raw productivity also improved as the year went on. Early in the season, his “stops” (plays where he halted the offense for little or no gain) were sporadic. But by the final stretch, Cooper was consistently racking up stops, including strong showings against playoff-caliber teams like Seattle, Minnesota, and Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. Notably, his coverage grade against the Eagles also improved from 60.9 in the season opener to 83.4 in the playoff rematch, demonstrating his ability to improve even against elite competition in pressure filled moments.
Cooper’s snap count tells a similar story: from just 11 snaps in his first game to 60 in the wild card round, his role and impact grew as the season unfolded. The more he played, the better he got. Another trait that all superstars share.
In the NFL, the best players are not static. They develop, adapt, and improve with experience. Cooper’s rookie season is a prime example of this phenomenon. As he enters his second year, expectations are sky-high that he will not only avoid the dreaded sophomore slump but will explode into the ranks of the league’s elite linebackers.
For Packers fans, the message is clear: while the offense may grab the headlines, keep your eyes on No. 56. Edgerrin Cooper’s breakout is just beginning, and he may soon be mentioned alongside the greatest linebackers in Green Bay history.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the Saturday Morning Inspection YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
