Seventh in a series.
GREEN BAY — Sean Duggan has no intention of trying to imitate his predecessor as the Green Bay Packers linebackers coach, Anthony Campanile.
Which is good, since the ultra-enthusiastic, uber-intense Campanile, now the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator, is undeniably 1 of 1.
“I do think being yourself is important. If you’re not, I think people can see through it,” Duggan said during the offseason. “And I think if you’re just yourself, I think people respect that?
“I’m going to be a little different than Camp. Now, I did learn a lot of things from him, so we may do some things similar, but I’m going to still be my own person. But, I loved working with Camp. He was truly one of a kind.”
Duggan, whose time with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley dates back to working for him at Boston College, spent the 2023 season as the assistant linebackers coach, so the coaching transition should be seamless — even if his low-key personality is vastly different than Campanile’s.
More importantly, though, the Packers have a linebackers group teeming with talent and athleticism, and for Hafley’s crew to improve on his inaugural season as coordinator, Duggan’s guys will be critical.
It all starts with second-year man Edgerrin Cooper, who turned his tantalizing potential into legit production last season by earning a pair of NFC defensive player of the week awards. Fast and athletic, Cooper’s ability to “eat up grass” (as the coaches put it) to close on ballcarriers is elite.
It’s up to him to now be more sure of his assignments and alignments, eliminating the mental mistakes that sometimes cost him as a rookie.
“Like a lot of rookies, everything’s brand new, just like it was for me last year. So it was cool to be in kind of a similar place where it’s like, ‘All right, everything’s kind of new and fresh for us for the first time,’” Duggan said of the connection he built with Cooper. “Just the way he worked and attacked learning and worked on his craft every day, it was really impressive. And you saw a payoff. He got better and better throughout the year.”
The Packers also saw a second-half jump from 2022 first-round pick Quay Walker, who seemed like a better fit for Hafley’s scheme than he did during his two years playing in previous defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s system.
Walker, who has played in 44 of a possible 51 games in his first three NFL seasons (43 starts) and was ejected from two games as a rookie in 2022, finished with 102 tackles, including a career-best nine tackles for loss, plus 2.5 sacks, three QB hits, two pass break-ups and 12 QB pressures last season before missing the final three regular-season games with an ankle injury he sustained Dec. 15 at Seattle. He was scootering around with an orthopedic boot on his leg at the end of minicamp.
“I think we collectively have high expectations for him,” head coach Matt LaFleur said of Walker. “He’s a guy that going into Year 2 of this system, he’s mentally much further along.
“He’s played some really good football. I think the challenge is, not only for him but for every player, how consistently can you go out there and play your best football? I expect him to be ready to go and play his best ball this season.”
Steady-as-he-goes Isaiah McDuffie, who played for Hafley in college, re-signed in free agency to fill out the linebacker threesome in the base defense, while the team also brought back Kristian Welch after cutting him at the end of training camp last year. The Packers also added former No. 8 overall pick Isaiah Simmons, who might benefit from a change of scenery and finally realize his vast potential.
“The more versatility you have, I think it helps,” Hafley said. “I just think the more pieces you have, I think it makes [the offense] think. And I think we can simplify it so it’s simple for us and try to be more complicated for the offense. And where it also helps is when guys go down and they get injured, you have guys who have played with experience that you can kind of move around.”
With that in mind, here’s a closer look at the linebacker position as the Packers prepare for training camp, which kicks off with its first practice on Wednesday morning:
Depth chart
No.
Name
Ht.
Wt.
Age
Exp.
College
56
Edgerrin Cooper
6-2
229
23
2
Texas A&M
7
Quay Walker
6-4
241
25
4
Georgia
58
Isaiah McDuffie
6-1
227
25
5
Boston College
59
Ty’Ron Hopper
6-2
228
24
2
Missouri
28
Isaiah Simmons
6-4
238
26
6
Clemson
54
Kristian Welch
6-3
240
27
6
Iowa
48
Jamon Johnson
6-1
236
23
R
Kentucky
Burning Question | Is this the year Quay Walker blossoms?
The short answer: For Walker’s sake, it better be. While fellow 2022 first-rounder Devonte Wyatt got the fifth-year option added to his rookie contract for 2026, Walker did not, in part because of the inflated sticker price because many edge rushers factored into the calculus as outside linebackers in 3-4 systems.
While general manager Brian Gutekunst has said he wants both Walker and Wyatt on the team beyond 2026, Walker does not have the commitment Wyatt does financially. The Packers view him and Cooper as their dynamic duo at linebacker, and the hope is that in Year 2 of the system, Walker will finally be the guy they think he is.
On the rise | Cooper.
There’s no question that Cooper showed how special he’s capable of being as a rookie, but he wasn’t immune to the growing pains that happen during a player’s first season in the NFL. Now, with a year of being a pro and a year in Hafley’s scheme, it feels as though the sky is the limit for him.
“As a rookie — I don’t like using that excuse for myself — things can be tough for you. You think a lot, your alignment can be wrong, just little stuff like that,” Cooper said. “So, [I’m] just making sure I’m in the right spot at all times.”
Player to watch | Simmons.
A Butkus Award winner as the nation’s best linebacker at Clemson and the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Simmons spent four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and two with the New York Giants.
To hear him tell it, his blessing-and-a-curse versatility stunted his development because he never knew from week to week where he’d be lining up. In Green Bay, though, Hafley and Duggan have a clear plan and role for him, which Simmons believes will be a game-changer.
“Really what I ran into most of my career is everybody wants me to do everything as opposed to letting me get really good at one thing first,” Simmons explained. “I fully believe in Haf’s plan. He’s letting me just lock in and learn a small portion first before we even think about expanding to anything else.
“That’s something I really appreciate because I never really had that opportunity to really just hone in on one position. It’s hard enough to get into the NFL — let alone stay [and] be effective at a position. So just being able to lock in on one thing, I mean, I feel like that’s been huge for me.”
Key competition | Roster spots.
The Packers moved on from jack-of-all-trades linebacker Eric Wilson, who was a special-teams stalwart and filled in brilliantly on defense when needed, starting 12 games and registering 64 tackles, two sacks, an interception and two pass break-ups.
With Wilson returning to the NFC North-rival Minnesota Vikings, Simmons and Welch, who had an outstanding training camp last summer before being cut and splitting his time last year with the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos, will compete for the top two backup spots with Hopper, a third-round pick who played sparingly on defense as a rookie last year.
Bold prediction | Simmons will turn out to be the low-key best free-agent signing of the offseason.
When the Packers were considering bringing Simmons in after his two years with the Giants, among the people they consulted was first-team All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney, who was Simmons’ teammate in the Big Apple in 2023.
And McKinney couldn’t have been more enthusiastic in his endorsement.
“It means a lot, especially coming from a guy like X, a very respected guy in this league,” Simmons said. “Personally, I think [he’s] the best safety [in the NFL], if you ask me.
“Having guys like that in your corner definitely means a lot, especially knowing the guys believe in you and know that you’re here for a reason.”
Even if the Packers don’t need Simmons to start games because of injuries at other linebacker spots, the coaches have put together a rough outline of a role he could play in the scheme — a role Simmons believes will get his career headed back in the right direction.
“The NFL, a big part of it is about what situation you’re in and where you’re at. Placement matters, and every system doesn’t fit everybody,” Simmons said. “Honestly, I feel like this is the most comfortable in a system I’ve been since I’ve been in the league.”
Next: Cornerbacks.
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