Two Packers Earn NFL All-Rookie Honors

Green Bay Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper posted historic production and safety Evan Williams was an impact player.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (56) tackles Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones for a loss. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Two members of the Green Bay Packers, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Evan Williams, were named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team on Monday.

The PFWA team is considered the official all-rookie team.

A second-round pick, Cooper might be the great linebacker the Packers have been seeking for years.

Cooper had a sensational season. He was a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Week and the NFL Defensive Player of the Month in December.

Cooper finished sixth on the defense with 77 tackles and led the team with 10 tackles on special teams. He paced the team with 13 tackles for losses and added 3.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, one interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and four passes defensed.

Cooper, Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher and DeMeco Ryans are the only rookie off-the-ball linebackers since at least 1999 with at least 80 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 TFLs and four passes defensed, according to Stathead.

Cooper’s 13 TFLs were the most by a rookie linebacker since the Buccaneers’ Lavonte David had 20 in 2012. Cooper led all rookies, regardless of position, in TFLs. The Rams’ Jared Verse, who had 4.5 sacks as the PFWA’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, was second with 11 tackles for losses.

At times, Cooper was dominant. He led the NFL with eight tackles for losses during the final four games.

Cooper was the only rookie in the NFL this season with at least three sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. He was the first rookie linebacker to hit those marks in a season since the Ravens’ Patrick Queen in 2020.

He was the first player – rookie or veteran – since 2000 with 12-plus tackles for losses on defense and 10-plus tackles on special teams.

All of that came while playing 45.1 percent of the defensive snaps.

“To me, it’s all about consistency,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He’s incredibly gifted, incredibly talented and everybody can see the splash plays he’s been making. It’s can you make all the routine plays when they’re there? And not that he hasn’t, but I just think there is a level [he hasn’t reached] – and that’s to be expected of most young players that there’s going to be mistakes.

“He’s learning a lot of football, and just getting acclimated to the National Football League is not like a process that happens overnight. Obviously, he missed a lot of time not only in the preseason but he’s missed time this season. I just think the more he plays, the better he’s going to get and the more big plays he’ll be able to make.”

Williams was the eighth safety drafted – teammate Javon Bullard was the second off the board – but earned All-Rookie honors.

A limited role early in the season and injuries late in the season limited him to 43.5 percent of the snaps. He finished the season with 47 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and three passes defensed.

During the regular season, the Packers were 10-0 when he had at least one tackle. His late pass breakup helped clinch a victory at the Rams on Oct. 6.

“All the time I’m looking back on old film like, ‘Wow, that was me,’” Williams said before the playoff game. “It’s kind of funny to look back and just see some of the mistakes that you make or the film as a whole and just seeing how far you’ve progressed in the whole scheme of things.

“I’ve had my fair share of injuries so there’s points where I look back and I’m like, ‘Oh, wow, I was really healthy there, I was flying around, I felt good.’ But, at the same time, I don’t really have time to think about the past or think about the time when I was just playing with my hair on fire and not thinking about anything.”

The Packers finished the season ranked fifth in total defense and sixth in points allowed.

With Cooper, Williams, Bullard and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley back for Year 2 together, big things could be in store.

“I’m not going to lie: We’re going to be dangerous,” Bullard said at the end of the season. “We’re going to be dangerous. And I’m not just saying that. We’re going to be a special group. And that our class, the vets that we still have, I have a tremendous amount of faith in us and what we’re going to bring to the table.

“We’re going to keep learning about each other, keep loving on each other, keep challenging each other, competing with one another and just trying to keep getting better each and every day. And that’s why I feel like we’re going to come together and build that camaraderie and be a special group.”

PFWA All-Rookie Defense

Defensive line: Jonah Elliss, Denver Broncos; Braden Fiske, Los Angeles Rams; Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts; T’Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans

Linebacker: Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers; Chop Robinson, Miami Dolphins; Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams

Cornerback: Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles

Safety: Calen Bullock, Houston Texans; Evan Williams, Green Bay Packers

Click here for the full team.

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