It’s possible that the Texas A&MAggiedid not have a first-round selection in Thursday’s NFL Draft. On Friday, though, they didn’t have to wait long for one to fall off the board.
Star Aggies linebacker Edgerrin Cooper was selected by the Green Bay Packers as the 45th overall choice in the second round. With this selection, Cooper became the first Texas A&M linebacker selected in the draft since Buddy Johnson in 2021 and only the second in the previous ten years.
Cooper is eager to advance his skills after having an outstanding season in which he was perhaps the finest linebacker in all of college football.
In a Zoom chat, Cooper expressed relief at seeing how far he had come and his readiness to take things to the next level. “That’s it, I’m prepared to proceed.”
From the start of the season, Cooper, who recorded 84 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and eight sacks to finish as a unanimous All-American, felt positive about Green Bay.
In fact, because of the team’s love and support during his visit to Green Bay, he knew going into the draft that the Packers were one of the clubs that would end up being one of his possible landing locations.
I sensed a lot of energy from them, from the coaches, from their love and support, when I went to visit them,” Cooper remarked. “You know, simply talking to them gave me an idea. Sometimes you can tell when someone is genuinely interested in you. That is the sensation I experienced.
With Cooper joining ultra-athletic weak side linebacker Quay Walker in the Packers’ 3-4 defense, one of the most exciting and talented young linebacker pairings in the NFL for the upcoming season is formed. Cooper will probably start at the Mike for Green Bay from Day 1.
Additionally, Cooper considers it a dream come true to be able to play beside a linebacker of Walker’s caliber.
Playing with another speedy linebacker was something I always imagined doing, Cooper remarked of his experience with Walker. “I feel like we could be very dangerous with our defense, being able to move from sideline to sideline and having two weapons on the field like that.”