GREEN BAY – After trading back four spots in the second round, the Packers selected Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper with the No. 45 overall pick Friday night.
Cooper was a first-team Associate Press All-America selection last season, leading the Aggies with 84 tackles and eight sacks among 17 tackles for loss.
The eight sacks is a standout number for an off-ball linebacker, which is the position Cooper (6-2, 230) would play in new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 defense. He will have a chance to start as a rookie, either by earning the third linebacker spot in the base and/or competing with Isaiah McDuffie for a more full-time role alongside Quay Walker.
The first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection started 20 games over the last two seasons. Pro Football Focus gave him a 90.8 defensive grade in 2023, best among all linebackers in the FBS with at least 200 defensive snaps.
Cooper, a native of Covington, La., ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
