Texas A&M Aggies LB Edgerrin Cooper Officially Signed By Packers

A few weeks after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round, former Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Edgerrin Cooper officially inked a contract with the team as a 22-year-old rookie.

Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (LB08) talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

If Edgerrin Cooper wasn't paying attention, he might have thought fans were chanting his name after he was taken with the No. 45 overall pick by the Green Bay Packers.

As the team representative stepped up to the podium, it was clear that the Packers were not in good favor with the city of Detroit. It made sense given the Lions-Packers rivalry that's existed for decades, and it certainly added some flair to Cooper's first NFL experience.

The former Texas A&M Aggies linebacker worked his way into the second round of the draft, boasting both size and speed that he put on full display in College Station. On his career, he totaled 204 tackles, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions. His mindset through all of it?

"We were just doing our job," Cooper said after a successful outing against the Auburn Tigers in the Aggies' SEC opener. "That's what coach always says. Don't try to do anything extra. Just do your job. As long as you're doing that, your plays will come to you." 

Sep 2, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Chantz Johnson (23) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) react to a play during the third quarter against New Mexico Lobos at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

That M.O. allowed Cooper to be a standout at Texas A&M, and now, he's set to begin a journey of doing the same in Green Bay. The Packers announced Thursday that they'd officially signed Cooper.

The linebacker is 22 years old with plenty of talent behind him, but he's also got plenty of experience left to gain before he can be considered a veteran — though that isn't of much value to Green Bay's upper management.

“I don’t think there’s a goal to be one of the youngest five teams,” Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said of his incoming draft class. “I think we want to be young, we want to be growing, we want to be getting better. We want to have young legs and to be fast.

"We’ll never shy away from being younger; I don’t think we’ll ever do that."

Cooper brings a variety of skills to the table. The Packers recognized that, despite his age. And now that he's officially signed to the team, Cooper just has to prove it will translate.