Ty'Ron Hopper Prepared for Whatever Role Packers Ask Him to Play

The Packers third-round pick is expected to be a versatile, interchangeable piece of the defense.

Joseph Van | Apr 27, 2024

Oct 21, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) is / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

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Green Bay Packers

Ty’Ron Hopper didn’t have to blow out any candles for his birthday wish to come true.

The Green Bay Packers selected the Missouri linebacker in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft on his 23rd birthday. Hopper took a predraft visit to Green Bay in March and expected the Packers to be one of the top teams interested in him.

“Based off the conversations I had with Green Bay,” Hopper said, “I knew they were showing a lot of interest in me and I knew they were probably gonna be a team that I probably ended up landing at.”

“I just broke out into, I don’t know, I was just sweating,” Hopper said of the moment. “I can't even explain it. It's one of the best feelings in my life and on my birthday, it can't get no better than that.”

Hopper was a team captain for the 2023 Missouri season that ended with a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State and a 11-2 record. Hopper played an essential role in Missouri’s 4-2-5 defense, being utilized as both a blitzer and in pass coverage.

“He’s really physical,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said, “he can run, but his stopping power, when he takes on blockers, is pretty impressive. Very serious-minded guy, I think he really helped change that defense.”

Hopper was the second inside linebacker selected by the Packers Friday along with Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper. Though Hopper mostly played Will (weakside linebacker) in Missouri’s 4-2-5 defense, he might be asked to play a variety of roles in Green Bay.

“I think all our linebackers are going to be interchangeable. I know they’ll call them MIKE, WILL and SAM, and they’ll have different responsibilities, but their skill sets will be the same if that makes any sense.”

The 2023 season saw Hopper receive experience in many different roles on the Missouri defense. A season-long injury to starting Mike (middle) linebacker Chad Bailey caused Hopper to be moved out of his typical role. In the 2022 season when playing in his best suited role, 74 tackles, two pass deflections, three sacks and one interception.

“I feel like I can do many different things,” Hopper said. “Mizzou put me in those positions to basically highlight different aspects of my game. … I can play the run very well. I can also play the pass and being an off-the-ball blitzer.”

In addition to special teams, both Hopper and Cooper will be expected to contribute on defense early on. After releasing De’Vondre Campbell in March, Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie were the only linebackers on the roster with significant experience. Gutekunst expects both Cooper and Hopper to replace what Campbell brought in pass coverage.

“Both these guys are big, rangy guys too as well, and taking away passing lanes. That’s important. Obviously with (Campbell) moving on, with him and Quay in there, those were two big long linebackers that could really take away passing lanes, so I wanted to make sure we didn’t get too short there either, and both of these guys have nice size and length.

Hopper measured in at 6’2” and 231 lbs at the Combine. His speed mostly comes in the form of his horizontal quickness instead of straight line speed. He ran a 4.68 40-yard dash and 2.68 20-yard split. His quickness will likely allow him to be a more interchangeable piece.

“They gotta be able to run and I think the two guys we selected today -- obviously you guys know Quay can run,” Gutekunst said. “We've gotten faster. Isaiah can run, so I really like that group and where we're headed with that right now.”

Hopper can return the favor of Green Bay’s birthday gift to him by being a versatile linebacker on their defense for years to come.

“Whatever role that they need me to do, then I'm ready.”