More than four weeks after Edgerrin Cooper went down with a season-ending Achilles injury, the Packers are still feeling the loss - but Ty’Ron Hopper has helped keep the defense from taking a bigger hit.
Cooper’s injury came in the third quarter of Green Bay’s victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 4, when he was involved in a standard blitz play and hit the grass looking behind him, as if someone had stepped on his foot. That reaction is the classic sign of an Achilles injury, and medical testing quickly confirmed it. The rising superstar was ruled out for the year.
That was a brutal blow for a Packers defense that had been leaning on Cooper from the start. He was off to a brilliant beginning, forming a terrific tandem with Zaire Franklin and showing exactly why his value is so hard to replace. Cooper’s sideline-to-sideline range, disruptive backfield presence, and three sacks in only four games made him one of the defense’s most important pieces.
Without him, Green Bay had to find answers fast. The old NFL line - "Next man up" - suddenly applied in a big way.
And Hopper has answered.
Against the Carolina Panthers, he became the first player since Charles Woodson in 2009 (the same year he won Defensive Player of the Year) to post a sack, an interception, and at least three pass breakups in the same game. His speed across the field has also taken a noticeable step forward, and he’s quietly become a real asset in the linebacker room.
That’s a notable turn for a player who arrived with plenty of intrigue but not much polish. The Packers took Hopper in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, just a few picks after MarShawn Lloyd, even though most draft analysts had him pegged in the Round 6-7 range. Dane Brugler of The Athletic described him this way after the pick:
"With his initial quickness and rangy speed, Hopper aggressively responds to ball carriers and pass catchers and closes in a hurry. However, he lacks the play strength desired for an every-down role and needs to improve his block awareness.
Overall, Hopper needs to be more consistent at the point of attack and as a finisher, but he is a fast-flowing athlete with the pursuit skills and blitzing talent to find a home in the NFL. He projects as a run-and-chase rotational linebacker with the skill set for special teams."
Linebacker was a clear need for Green Bay in that draft, and the team added two at the position that year, including Cooper himself. Hopper was the surprise of the group, taken much earlier than expected.
For the first two seasons of his career, though, he didn’t do much to justify that draft slot. He spent most of that time buried behind Cooper, Isiah McDuffie, and Quay Walker, and then behind Zaire Franklin as well after the Packers acquired him via trade last spring.
Now, with the opportunity in front of him, Hopper has made the most of it. The biggest surprise has come in coverage, where he has picked off two passes and allowed only a 75.8 passer rating since moving into a larger role. His play against Chubba Hubbard - staying stride for stride with the speedy back up the sideline for a pass breakup - stood out as one of his best moments.
There’s still plenty of season left, and Hopper will have to keep proving he can hold up. But for now, he has filled a major gap on a defense that badly needed someone to step forward after Cooper’s injury. As the weather gets colder and run defense matters even more, Green Bay will find out whether this version of Hopper can keep going.
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Packers May Have A New Linebacker Problem In The Best Way
The Packers have managed to keep their defense on track even while dealing with injuries at linebacker, and the next stretch could say a lot about how deep that room really is. With Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin sidelined, Isaiah McDuffie and Tyron Hopper have been asked to carry more of the load, and the unit has held up well enough to keep Green Bay from feeling the full weight of those absences.
Hopper, in particular, has started to look like more than a fill-in. His recent impact showed up all over the field, from tackles to disruption in coverage and even splash plays in the backfield, which is the kind of production that can complicate a coachs rotation once everyone is healthy again. Franklin is expected back soon, but if Hopper keeps stacking strong performances, the Packers may have a new kind of linebacker question on their hands. [Read more 🡒]