Latest news with #NFCDefensivePlayeroftheWeek
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Cameron Jordan's game-winning sack vs. Falcons is the Saints Play of the Day
Cameron Jordan's game-winning sack vs. Falcons is the Saints Play of the Day Jordan sealed a win in Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day back in 2019 There are 94 days to go until the New Orleans Saints start their 2025 season, which makes one of Cameron Jordan's best moments our pick for the Saints Play of the Day. Facing the archrival Atlanta Falcons back in 2019 with an NFC South title on the line, Jordan led the Saints defense with a standout performance that won him recognition as the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Jordan was credited with four sacks, six tackles, and a pass deflection on the Thanksgiving Day nightcap. And his best play of the day sealed the win for New Orleans. Jordan sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan for a fourth time on fourth down. Holding onto a 26-18 lead with the possibility of overtime in play, Jordan rushed off the left side and got past rookie first-round pick Kaleb McGary. Ryan never saw him coming, and Jordan brought the QB down for a turnover on downs with just seconds remaining. Drew Brees kneeled to run out the clock and the Saints won the day, and a division championship, too. You can see that highlight and all of Jordan's big plays here.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Former Texas A&M star and Green Bay LB makes PFF's Top 10 Linebacker List
Former Texas A&M star and Green Bay LB makes PFF's Top 10 Linebacker List Texas A&M has produced several top defenders over the decades, and the latest standout is Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released its Top 32 linebacker rankings for the 2025 football season. The usual top contenders, including Fred Warner, Bobby Wagner, and Roquan Smith, made the list. However, former Aggie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper's strong finish to the 2024 season turned heads, putting him on the fast track for a starting role this upcoming NFL season. The second-round pick earned multiple accolades, including NFC Defensive Player of the Week and NFC Rookie of the Month. He has all the makings of a future Pro Bowler and a cornerstone of the Packers' defense as he plays out his rookie contract. Cooper closed out his rookie season with 57 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one interception. Things are just getting started for the young defensive phenom, and we can't wait to see what he accomplishes in his career. Below, you can see the top 10 of 32 from PFF's official X account: Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper still explosive despite adding weight
Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper still explosive despite adding weight As first noted by defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley earlier this month, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has gained considerable weight -- good weight -- ahead of his second NFL season. In fact, LaFleur said Cooper -- who was listed at 229 pounds and played at around 220 pounds at times during his rookie season -- is now up near 240 pounds, and the easy-moving linebacker is still as explosive as ever. "He's so much more confident. Certainly, his body looks different. He's like 240 pounds now," LaFleur said after Wednesday's OTA session. "The added weight, and he still looks like he's moving as good as he did a year ago. I'm really excited about him. Just his understanding of the detail of what he's supposed to do and those around him, that's going to allow him to play that much faster, which is pretty exciting." Cooper, a second-round pick in 2024, produced 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries while playing only 491 snaps as a rookie. He earned two NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, was named to the 2024 All-Rookie Team and even received a few All-Pro votes. Will the added weight slow him down? LaFleur and the Packers don't think so. "He looks as explosive as I've seen him. We're really fired up about that," LaFleur said. LaFleur said the team does regular body composition scans, and Cooper is in better shape as a second-year player. "He's in a lot better place than what he was," LaFleur said. The added weight should help Cooper better handle the rigors of a full, 17-game schedule. As a rookie, Cooper played in 14 regular season games with four starts but played fewer than 500 total snaps defensively. He is expected to be a three-down, full-time starter for Hafley's defense in 2025.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Love for Edgerrin Cooper and Elgton Jenkins, but Packers missing playoffs?
Love for Edgerrin Cooper and Elgton Jenkins, but Packers missing playoffs? Ben's Solak's list of 100 things to know and predictions for the 2025 NFL season -- posted at ESPN on Tuesday -- featured love for Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins but also included a prediction Packers fans won't like to read. First, the good. Solak started his 100-item list with "10 names to know." The first two names listed? Both Packers -- Cooper and Jenkins. Solak sees Cooper, an All-Rookie Team pick who won two NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards and took off as an impact player to end last season, as an All-Pro candidate in 2025. From Solak: "The lightbulb went on for Cooper last year, as he rose from sub-package player to 100% snap starter by season's end. From December on, I'm not sure there were five more impactful linebackers in all of football. Cooper is highly active against the run and a reliable tackler in space. He has the size and athletic ability to be a solid coverage man. After he got one All-Pro vote last season, I'd wager Cooper gets double-digit votes in 2025." Cooper produced 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, an interception and two fumble recoveries while starting only four games and playing under 500 total snaps as a rookie. He has legitimate star power as a do-everything disruptor at off-ball linebacker, especially after gaining weight and strength ahead of Year 2. He should be more comfortable in Jeff Hafley's defense and better built to withstand the rigors of an NFL season. On offense, Solak sees Jenkins, who is moving to center in 2025, as "one of the coolest players in the league" considering his incredible versatility and consistency. And he agrees that Jenkins -- who is skipping the offseason program so far -- needs a restructured deal ahead of this season. From Solak: "In six seasons, he has played at least 300 snaps at four of the five offensive line positions: both tackle spots, left guard and center. The film has been good everywhere, too -- absurd consistency. His last extensive experience at center was in 2020, but he's expected to fill that spot in 2025 after Josh Myers left for the Jets in free agency. Jenkins is in a contract dispute with the Packers right now, as he has two years left on his deal and reportedly wants his compensation to reflect his versatility. I agree with him. What a player." The Packers gave Aaron Banks a top-of-the-market deal and are now asking Jenkins -- who has been a far better player than Banks at left guard during his career -- to move to center. It's a lot to ask of a player who has only two years left on his deal, could be a cut candidate in 2026 and is moving to a less lucrative position at center. In some ways, Jenkins' incredible versatility is both a gift and a curse. He can play every offensive line position, and most of the five at a high level. But moving around so often is tough on the player and makes the financial side increasingly tricky. Ready for the bad? Solak predicted the Packers wouldn't make the postseason in 2025. His concerns revolve around the defense's pass-rush, which was frustratingly inconsistent in 2024 and didn't make a major addition this offseason, and at the top of the receiver depth chart. Solak's prediction: "The Packers will miss the playoffs. I think two of the biggest nonnegotiables for playoff teams are having a pass rush and a dominant receiver. The Packers definitely don't have the first and still might not have the second, even after drafting Matthew Golden in Round 1. They were plus-12 in turnover differential last season, which ranked third in the NFL, but that tends not to be a sticky number. (I am also looking at the plus-24 Bills with supreme suspicion.)" Legitimate concerns, but it's worth noting that the Packers won 11 games and made the playoffs without a dominant pass rush or a true No. 1 receiver just last season. Making a change at defensive line coach -- swapping out Jason Rebrovich for former Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington -- could make a big difference. And after adding Golden and Savion Williams in the draft, the Packers are deep in talent at wide receiver, plus Tucker Kraft could emerge as a bigger weapon in the passing game. Solak also mentioned Packers-Eagles in Week 10 as one of his "nine interesting scheduling features," and for an obvious reason: It's the Tush Push battle. Surely, that storyline won't be brought up a million more times before now and kickoff in Week 10, right?
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper gains 10 pounds ahead of highly anticipated second season
Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper gains 10 pounds ahead of highly anticipated second season Gaining weight to help prepare physically for the grind of a 17-game NFL schedule and continuing to get the little details down are all part of what Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley says is a "locked in" and "focused" version of linebacker Edgerrin Cooper ahead of a highly anticipated second NFL season. Cooper, who was listed at 229 pounds as a rookie, is now up close to 240 pounds, per Hafley. "When you see him now, he looks different. I mean, he's bigger now," Hafley said. "He's got to be close to 240 pounds. And this Year 2 for him, he knows what it's going to take. He knows what he has to do now to stay healthy. He was injured quite a bit, where he missed a lot of time and couldn't practice and couldn't play. Now he knows what it's going to take to stay healthy in this long season. You can tell he's dedicated that time into caring for his body and changed his body and now when you sit with him in that room it's, I mean, he's locked in and he's focused. Now he knows what he's doing." A second-round pick in 2024, Cooper produced 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries during a standout rookie season that included two NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors and finished with him being named to the 2024 All-Rookie Team. How does Cooper build on his first season? Staying on the field and becoming more consistent. Understanding how to best prepare your body for the grind is part of becoming a young pro. As a rookie, Cooper missed three games to injury and was on the field for only 491 defensive snaps, so taking on a bigger role -- which means more snaps and more punishment -- required getting bigger and stronger in Year 2. He's checked that box so far this offseason. On the mental side, Hafley wants consistency -- and consistency requires getting the details right on every play, both pre-snap and post-snap. "Consistency. We talked, and sometimes joked, about he might've had that gap, but he made the play over there, right? Like there was a toss run over there that instead of going over the top of the blocker, somehow he ran underneath the blocker and still made a TFL," Hafley said. "Now it's getting the details down. Now it's lining up exactly where he needs to line up and doing it over and over and over again, because then he's gonna show up faster and he's going to make more plays and he's going to become a more consistent player." The second-year leap is such an important part of a young player's development, especially one with star power like Cooper. There is a far better understanding of what it takes both physically and mentally as a second-year player, and the comfort of knowing often allows the flashes to become more consistent and a player like Cooper to go from good to great quickly. With a body more ready for a long season and a year's worth of learning and development in Hafley's scheme, Cooper is in a prime position to take a big step forward. "He needs to be more consistent. He's got to stay healthy. And continue to improve," Hafley said. "He's a guy we're really excited about because he can do a lot of different things too."
