In his rookie year, Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper took the NFL by storm with an electrifying first season, made even more impressive by the fact he missed time during training camp, which can often be a death sentence for rookies looking to make an early impact.

But just how impressive was Cooper’s 2024 campaign? Here’s what the numbers say about his overall profile as a player entering his sophomore season:

Strengths

Cooper posted some strong numbers in all aspects of linebacker play, but he was most impactful when rushing the passer.

Among qualified NFL linebackers, Cooper ranked in the 95th percentile in sacks per pass rush opportunity (SK/OPP). He was second in the NFL in that statistic, and had four sacks per PFF, despite not becoming a full-time player until late in the year.

The underlying numbers were just as encouraging, with Cooper ranking in the 88th percentile in PFFs pass rush productivity (PRP) metric, and the 75th percentile in pass rush win rate (WIN%).

With an interception and a forced fumble, Cooper ranked in the 81st percentile in turnover worthy plays per snap. (TWP/S)

He was also a force in the run game, constantly around the ball and making a habit of creating splash plays. Cooper ranked in the 77th percentile in tackles per snap in the run game, and was also above average in assisted tackles per snap.

In terms of stop rate in the run game, which are tackles which mean a failure for the offense, Cooper graded out in the 93rd percentile among his peers.

Cooper ranked in the 90th percentile for average depth of tackle (AVDT), consistently making plays around the line of scrimmage and in the backfield.

A reliable presence against the pass, Cooper purported himself well in coverage last year. He ranked in the 81st percentile for reception percentage allowed (REC%), the 77th in NFL passer rating allowed, and the 71st in pass game stops per game.

Weaknesses

Arguably the biggest issue for Cooper as a rookie was his missed tackles. Compared to his fellow linebackers, he ranked in just the 16th percentile for missed tackle rate, whiffing on a concerning 15.4% of his attempts.

After putting on weight this offseason, Cooper can hope to improve his stopping power as a tackler and make progress in this area in year two.

In coverage, he ranked in just the 13th percentile in yards allowed per snap, showing there is still work to be done. Cooper is perfectly reliable in coverage, but he is not one of the best in the league by any stretch.

This may be nit picking, but Cooper ran hot with sacks last year. His four came from only 12 total pressures, and that might not be sustainable.

He ranked in the 43rd percentile, below average, in QB hits and hurries per opportunity, so he can still have an even bigger impact rushing the passer.

The stats back up what was already understood; Edgerrin Cooper was fantastic as a rookie, one of the better linebackers in the league, and Packers fans should be very excited about his potential.

Going forward, the first question is whether he can maintain the level of play he produced in 2024 as he plays more and has more on his plate after becoming a full-time starter.

After a strong first season, it is often assumed a player will continue to ascend. That is not a given. There is no reason to believe he will regress in year two though, and the question with Cooper is simply: we know he is good, but just how good can he be?