When the Green Bay Packers take the field this fall, their linebacker group will be one of the more interesting units on the roster. The team has a bona fide star on the roster, but aside from Edgerrin Cooper, the rest of the group provides far more questions than answers.
What does Zaire Franklin bring at this stage of his career, coming off his worst season as a pro? How much can the team get out of Isaiah McDuffie, a viable run-stuffer who remains a major liability in coverage? What exactly is Ty’Ron Hopper, the third-year pro who played just 59 defensive snaps last year before the team’s meaningless Week 18 game? What level of confidence does the team have in Nick Niemann or Kristian Welch to provide quality depth instead of just special teams snaps?
Cooper might be able to cover up a lot of those questions on his own. The young budding star just got named one of the NFL’s top ten linebackers by ESPN — and deservedly so — and the team sees him as a building block for the middle of the defense. Still, you have to play at least two linebackers on most defensive plays, so it’s important for Jonathan Gannon to figure out what to do next to him.
Let’s take a look at that group before we head into the weekend.
Three Concerning Questions for Packers at Linebacker After Big Change | SI.com
It’s easy to forget that Zaire Franklin was a second-team All-Pro just two years ago after he took a big step back in 2025. But then again, he was running a different defensive scheme last year and perhaps it didn’t fit his game very well.
2026 NFL trade tiers: Players worth Round 1 picks by team | ESPN
This piece suggests that Cooper is among a quartet of Packers players who would draw at least one first-round pick in a trade at this point. Obviously Jordan Love and Micah Parsons are on that list, but so is Zach Tom. I’m surprised Xavier McKinney didn’t make the cut too, however.
Who could be first-time Pro Bowlers for the Packers in 2026? | Packers Wire
It sure does feel like this year will be Cooper’s time to make an appearance.
Happy 70th season, Lambeau Field! | Packers.com
Here’s a great history of the evolution of professional football’s finest and most historic stadium.
Green Bay Packers will travel farther for the 2026 schedule than in 2025 | Packersnews.com
Farther, yes. Much farther? No.
Canadian woman caught with ball python in her bra at Schiphol Airport | NL Times
The most bizarre part of this is that the woman tried to smuggle the animal through security after supposedly finding it at her hotel.
