With quick feet and a violent finish, Edgerrin Cooper wins Defensive Player of the Week

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On third-and-11 in the fourth quarter on Sunday, Green Bay Packers rookie Edgerrin Cooper ran 40 yards downfield to break up a pass to star receiver Christian Kirk.

How rare is it for a linebacker to make a play like that?

“I’ve done that a lot,” said linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, who played at Rutgers 20 years earlier. “I feel like I’ve done that a lot in my (career).

“No, I’m kidding,” he said with a hearty laugh.

Cooper, who had a strip/sack and sensational pass breakup during back-to-back fourth-quarter series against the Jaguars, was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. He is the first Packers rookie to win Defensive Player of the Week since Clay Matthews in 2009.

Coach Matt LaFleur told Cooper during a team meeting Wednesday morning.

“Yes, it means something to me, but the way I look at it is if I do my job right, all those things will come,” Cooper said. “Just focus on what I need to do, go out there, don’t make mistakes, go out and make plays and all that stuff comes to me.”

Cooper, a second-round pick in this year’s draft, had eight tackles and two game-changing plays that powered a 30-27 win. On the second play of the fourth quarter, a third-and-7, Cooper blitzed, eventually fighting his way through the line and poking the ball free of Trevor Lawrence. The Packers cashed it in for a touchdown and a 27-17 lead.

Edgerrin Cooper’s flashes are off the charts. Must be so good pic.twitter.com/2u3Au3EJtd

— Mike Renner (@mikeren_) October 28, 2024

On third down on the next series, Cooper used remarkable passing speed to break Lawrence’s deep shot on Kirk.

Which play did he like best?

“Oh, 100% a sack fumble,” he said. “That’s a great feeling right there.”

It was a logical response because the turnover resulted in a touchdown. However, the breakup was a remarkable athletic achievement.

On third down from the 29, Cooper aligned over the middle on the 30-yard line. In the blink of an eye, he took a few steps forward to force the Jaguars’ offensive line to declare his blitz. However, he made a U-turn and gave chase to Kirk, who at one point was about five meters clear.

Lawrence’s pass was good, but Cooper – who was called ‘Flash’ as a child – bridged the gap between him and Kirk with every step. Kirk jumped for the ball around Green Bay’s 35 and had the ball in his hands. However, when Kirk went to the turf, Cooper hit the ball free.

It’s been a long time since the Packers had a linebacker with that kind of athleticism.

“There’s a first time for everything. That’s what I’m here for,” Cooper said.

Campanile called it a “super athletic game,” but there was more to it than just God-given speed.

“He really did a great job with the details,” Campanile said. “If you look at that piece, there’s a lot of detail in the workmanship, so the execution of what he did during the piece is certainly impressive. But the finish, for me, is a huge compliment for his dedication and tenacity to finish the piece as he did.

“I just thought it was a great play. Really and truly. Hard to play, for sure. Athletically, it takes a special athlete to do that, but he definitely had the right mentality to go in and finish it, trying to get the ball out.

Campanile knew what Cooper was capable of. At Texas A&M, he was a game-breaking All-American who led the SEC in tackles for losses. At the Scouting Combine, he ran his 40 in 4.51 seconds.

“On his college recording you say, ‘Wow, that’s an explosive guy and super talented,’” Campanile said.

The Packers brought him along slowly. After playing a total of 18 snaps in the first two games and 18 snaps in the third game, Cooper has played about 60 percent of the snaps in each of the last three games.

The more snaps he has played, the better he has played. The better he plays, the more snaps he gets.

“I’ve said this before, maybe I’ve said it ad nauseam here, but eyes, feet, hands, violent finish,” Campanile said. “And if your eyes are good, your feet will be good too. Your feet will be right, your hands will be right. And then there has to be a violent ending at the end of each piece. This must be done at the point of attack.

“Whether you’re breaking a block, finishing a tackle, breaking up a drive in zone coverage, rushing the passer or finishing in field coverage, there has to be a violent finish. And usually that determines whether the piece has a positive or negative outcome. But I think his eyes have gotten a lot better and he has a lot of production because of that.”

The Packers have been looking for a stud linebacker for years.

De’Vondre Campbell was an All-Pro in 2021, but couldn’t maintain that high level of play. Matthews was a dominant outside linebacker who played a big role at inside linebacker in 2014 and 2015. The last true off-the-ball linebacker to be a Pro Bowler was AJ Hawk in 2010.

Cooper has that kind of potential. He’s only played about 40 percent of the snaps, but he’s second on the team with 2.5 sacks and third with five tackles for losses.

Among starting off-the-ball linebackers, he is second in tackles (38, including special teams), first in sacks (2.5) and tackles for losses (five), and tied for first in passes defended (two).

On Wednesday, he earned his first NFL award.

“I just go out there and play,” he said. “It’s not really something I’m looking forward to. If it happens, that’s fine, but we still have some things I want to get done with the team, so I just have to move on.”

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