Packers’ Edgerrin Cooper Struggles in Year Two Despite Impressive Rookie Campaign

Green Bay, WI — Edgerrin Cooper, one of the brightest stars on the Green Bay Packers‘ defense in 2024, is facing challenges in his second season. After a promising rookie year where he made a significant impact in a limited role, Cooper’s performance has dropped noticeably through 11 games this season.

In his first year, Cooper showcased his speed and aggression, earning an All-Pro vote and finishing sixth in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting despite starting only four games and completing just 491 snaps. Fans and coaches alike were thrilled by his performance, which included 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

However, this year has not been kind to Cooper. He has recorded only half a sack and two tackles for loss thus far, a stark contrast to last season. The player’s Pro Football Focus grades have also decreased significantly across all metrics, including equaling his 14 missed tackles from the previous year in a larger sample size of snaps.

Cooper’s struggles may not indicate poor performance but rather a change in usage under the Packers’ new strategy. According to PFF, he rushed the passer in roughly 10% of his defensive snaps as a rookie but has done so on just over 6% of snaps this season.

While the shift in his role has minimized his impact, the Packers’ defensive lineup has changed too. Coach Jeff Hafley stated, “We don’t need to blitz Edgerrin when we have Micah Parsons making plays up front.”

As the Packers gear up for a playoff push, it is crucial for Cooper to regain his explosive style. The team may need to reconsider his role to leverage his skills as they move forward in the season.