Here’s Why Veteran Remains Ahead of Touted Rookie Edgerrin Cooper

By now, the assumption was second-round draft pick Edgerrin Cooper would have moved into the starting lineup at linebacker. Instead, Eric Wilson’s superb play has kept him ahead in the competition.

Green Bay Packers LB Eric Wilson rides with a young fan to training camp. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With a hole in the lineup and a new defensive scheme, the Green Bay Packers had their pick of every linebacker in the 2024 NFL Draft class. They chose Edgerrin Cooper.

Surely, it wouldn’t take long for the Texas A&M All-American and 45th overall selection to beat out Eric Wilson for a starting job.

Certainly, nine practices into Packers training camp, Wilson shouldn’t be one of the starting linebackers for Saturday’s Family Night and be well on his way to being a starter for Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“If that’s a thing, then maybe f*** that,” Wilson said this week.

If Wilson indeed is a starter in Brazil – and there is no reason to believe that he won’t – it won’t be because Cooper underachieved during training camp or is headed toward being a bust. Rather, it’s because Wilson routinely has been one of the best players on a defense that has dominated most of training camp.

“I love the guy,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “Off the field, he’s one of the best guys you could be around. He’s a pro. The way he sits in meeting rooms, takes notes, helps the younger guys, stays after, takes care of his body.”

That’s nice, but production is production and the draft is the draft. Ready or not, second-round picks are expected to be starters from the jump, or at least close to it.

As he enters Year 8 in the NFL, Wilson has been around long enough to know how the business works.

“I think we always draft players that can help us win games,” Wilson said. “Regardless of what’s going on upstairs, I’ve got to control what I can control. Ever since I’ve been in the league, guys are going to get drafted. It’s just a matter of doing what you can do and make sure you handle your business.”

Wilson has more than handled his business. If he’s not No. 1 on the team in tackles during training camp, he’s No. 2. A lot of those tackles have come near or behind the line of scrimmage.

Wilson is one of the great stories of training camp. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings in 2017. A role player his first three seasons in the NFL, Wilson emerged as a full-time starter in Mike Zimmer’s 4-3 defense and had a superb season with 122 tackles, three interceptions, eight passes defensed, three sacks and eight tackles for losses in 2020.

In free agency in 2021, he signed with the Eagles but was released at midseason. The Packers plucked him off the Saints’ practice squad in October 2022. Even as a late arrival, he tied for the team lead in special-teams tackles. In 2023, he led the team in special-teams tackles again and, given a role on defense because of injuries, paced the linebackers in tackles per snap.

Wilson returned to the Packers on a one-year deal in free agency.

“I love these guys,” Wilson said. “I love the coaches, I love this organization, I love the fanbase. It’s frickin’ awesome playing here.”

Wilson is having a frickin’ awesome training camp, which is why Cooper (who is out with a hip injury) and third-round pick Ty’Ron Hopper have made no headway at all in the battle for a starting job.

How has he done it?

“I pride myself on knowing the playbook, f***** flying around, getting to the ball,” Wilson said. “I think it’s something for the rookies to learn about, to be a good role model for any rookie, whether that’s on defense, offense, to be that person that they can see show up each and every day and f***** work hard.”

The hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“You see him show up on special teams, punching the ball out, which I showed to the defense the other day. You see him showing up on defense, punching the ball out,” Hafley said. “He can play multiple positions because he’s a very smart player and he’s reliable, and he’s a guy that you can trust that’s going to go 100 miles an hour and know exactly what to do and he’s going to try to finish. So, I’m very pleased with him. I’m a big fan.”

The No. 1 linebacker trio, with middle linebacker Quay Walker flanked by Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie, has been one of the strong suits of the defense through nine practices.

What has made the fit of that group so strong?

“I think we’re all different in certain ways but we all have a nose for the ball,” Wilson said. “I think we communicate very well. It’s just a matter of being on the same page. I think we have good communication on and off the field that helps us be better on the field and kind of corral the guys. On defense, we’re really communicators. We’ve got to talk with the front line, we’ve got to make sure it’s all coordinated. I think we work well together.”

Preston Smith is the team’s oldest player at age 31. Wilson, who will turn 30 on Sept. 26, is the third-oldest player on the roster. It’s not often a veteran gets a second chance at being a starter, but Wilson has run with his opportunity.

“It’s fun,” Wilson said. “I love the game, I love being here. Even in Year 8, I approach the game as if I’m a rookie and a beginner. I love the Xs and Os of it. I love being out there and I love helping my team win.”

More Green Bay Packers Training Camp News

#Packers Family Night is tonight. Here are six things to watch if you are at Lambeau, watching on TV or viewing the stream. ⬇️https://t.co/DGaqF6dYS5

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 3, 2024

Rookie progress report | Highlights from Practice 9 | Pass rush will be vital | Packers like their whites | Highlights from Practice 8 | The rise of Romeo Doubs | The rise of Grant DuBose | Highlights from Practice 7 | New CB Don Callis | New CB LJ Davis | Highlights from Practice 7 | Seeking best O-line | Week 1 gold, silver, bronze | Week 1 stock report | Highlights from Practice 6 | Highlights from Practice 5 | Highlights from Practice 4 | Highlights from Practice 3 | Highlights from Practice 2 | Highlights from Practice 1