Hey, Packer Nation. I’d like to tell you about my favorite prospect in the 2024 draft, his name is Edgerrin Cooper. He’s a monster. There are so many fun things to appreciate in his game, I’m looking forward to showing them to you. And if you stay till the end, you may find out why Brad Pitt is getting mentioned in a draft profile. Lets dive in!
Production
The first thing to know about Edgerrin Cooper is that in 2023, his senior season, he played 12 games, and racked up 58 tackles, 17 assists, and 56 stops. His pass rushing numbers leap off the page: Edgerrin had 27 pressures, including 12 QB hurries, 5 QB hits, and a whopping 10 sacks. For this he earned AP All-American and First Team All-SEC honors in 2023. The Packers love guys who played big time ball in the top conferences and showed out. Edgerrin Cooper checks that box all day long.
The Bama Game
Speaking of showing out against top competition, if you watch any Edgerrin Cooper highlights, it won’t take you long to find yourself blown away by his play in the Aggies game vs. Alabama. Edgerrin was all over the field giving the Tide hell all afternoon. The Packers will have studied this game well. It was as dominant a performance as you see from a college defender all year.
Effort Always Wins
I’d like to share with you the play that convinced me Cooper just HAD to be a Packer. First, the recognition on display is elite. He clearly knows his keys and trusts himself to read the play correctly. Second, the athleticism on display. He has three bigger guys coming at him and bends and twists to get around them like a graceful dancer on a stage. And, finally, the pure desire to win. No one would have faulted him for getting blocked here, but he simply wants it more than everyone else. THAT is a thing you can’t teach, buy, or improve upon. Players are just born with it, and it’s the difference between winning and losing on most plays.
He Loves To Hit
Sacks get you paid, but a true linebacker has the mentality of wanting to hit anyone with the ball. Edgerrin shows us on this rep that he wants to stuff the run. His eyes are active, his lateral movement is fluid, and when he gets the RB in the hole, he wins the Oklahoma drill. This type of effort and skill is all over his tape.
Fits The Athletic Profile
I know some of you are annoyed with me for being the President of the Bucky Irving Fan Club since he does not fit the traditional physical profile the Packers like to draft. But there is no such concern with Edgerrin Cooper. He’s a little lighter than you’d like, but he more than compensates for that with his elite speed and uncanny awareness, as we’ve seen above.
Dog Lover?
Fans of the classic film Snatch will be familiar with the scene in which Brad Pitt’s character asks Tommy if he likes “Dags”. He’s confused by the accent of the questioner, but his answer is a resounding “Oh, DOGS. Sure…I like Dags.”
Well we can now count Edgerrin Cooper firmly amongst his number. He has 6 of em and walks them each… individually. So, if you’re on the fence about his play, I don’t think you can do anything but root for a man that committed to dog ownership.
The Bad News
I don’t think I need to do much selling here. I am hard pressed to find a Packers Mock Draft that isn’t sending Cooper to the Packers at pick 41. Packers Nation is all in on Team Cooper. The bad news is my favorite players never get drafted by Green Bay. But hope springs eternal. Edgerrin Cooper is everything you want in an off the ball LB, and Coach Hafley would have a ton of fun deploying his skill sets on opposing offenses. We absolutely must get this player in green and gold. Fingers crossed, fam!
