National outlet disrespects Packers rising star and favors rival defensive player for no good reason ahead of next season
It's hard to be as productive as Edgerrin Cooper from the get go, especially with limited snaps as a rookie. But Cooper was. Even playing just 491 defensive snaps in 2025, he made the All-Rookie Team and established himself as a rising star in the NFL. It's easy to see a path for him to […]
It's hard to be as productive as Edgerrin Cooper from the get go, especially with limited snaps as a rookie. But Cooper was. Even playing just 491 defensive snaps in 2025, he made the All-Rookie Team and established himself as a rising star in the NFL. It's easy to see a path for him to become a real star in the NFL.
However, there are still people not giving him proper credit. PFF made a list of defensive players who can become the best at their position in 2025, and the linebacker chosen was Jack Campbell, a 2023 first-round pick for the Detroit Lions.
The follow-up question is why, and why not Edgerrin Cooper.
Comparison
While Jack Campbell came into the NFL perceived as a better prospect, his performance in the league has been good, but not flashy or explosive. As a rookie, he was a good run defender and tackler, but was a liability in coverage.
He got better at it last year, becoming a solid player for the Lions. But the comparison with Cooper favors the Packers' second-round pick from 2024.
Even playing half the snaps Campbell did last season, Cooper had only one fewer pressure (11 vs. 12), two more sacks (3.5 vs. 1.5), close to the same number of stops (35 vs. 43), and better results in passer rating when targeted (93.8 vs. 101.5).
And that, again, as a part-time rookie. Obviously, playing a full-time role on the defense brings a new set of challenges. Last year, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was able to use Cooper in the perfect way, maximizing his skill set. However, the rookie didn't show any glaring weaknesses in his game that could preclude him from playing more snaps. Cooper was solid at coverage, good against the run, and excellent as a blitzer.
Additionally, Edgerrin Cooper is a year younger and has one fewer season of NFL experience, indicating that he has more room for growth than Campbell.
"I think he's got superstar potential, I really do," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said during his podcast after the season. "It was a huge learning curve coming from Texas A&M to here. And you saw, the more he played, the better he got, and the more consistent he got. It's going to be a great offseason for him. I think he's planning on staying in town. Hopefully we can get him bigger, faster and stronger."
To get things even more complicated for Jack Campbell, he will have to handle coaching changes. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn left the team to take the New York Jets head coaching job, and linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard was promoted to DC. Shaun Dion Hamilton, who four years ago was a Lions player, got promoted from assistant LB coach to LB coach.
Edgerrin Cooper will also have a different position coach, even though Hafley is still the defensive coordinator. Anthony Campanile left to be the Jacksonville Jaguars DC, so defensive assistant Sean Duggan was promoted to linebackers coach.