Pair of Packers Named to 'Most Important' Defenders List

We have a weekend ahead full of NFL preseason action, and it's a great time to get reacquainted with your favorite teams and the stars on it.

Many teams have some household names, but how about those second-year budding stars?

Ben Solak of ESPN.com was recently tasked with listing out the 20 most important second-year defenders in the NFL, and a pair of Packers made the cut.

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The obvious names on the list include Jared Verse of the Rams and Cooper DeJean of the Eagles, but there are a few that might surprise.

Here's what Solak had to say about a pair of Packer defenders that folks should have their eyes on this Fall:

Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Green Bay Packers

One of the best feelings in football is when you see the lightbulb go on for a rookie. It happened for Cooper, who went from a sub-package player to an impactful starter over the last month of the season. Cooper's big leap was in run defense, as the visuals of shifting offensive lines and blocking schemes began to click. Across the last four weeks of the season, no off-ball linebacker had more run stops (tackles that are negative EPA for the offense) than Cooper.

The big leap in run defense is promising news, because Cooper was always going to be a decent pass defender with his length, quickness and long speed. The instincts are still coming around there, but he is an adequate blitzer for now, which will protect him from too much exposure on clear passing downs. For a player as linear and explosive as Cooper, sinking back into zones can be counterintuitive. He's at his best when he can just see it and go.

To that end, Cooper's sideline-to-sideline range from the linebacker spot is immediately among the best at the position. Cooper regularly beats climbing offensive linemen to the point and will pursue running backs far into the sideline, stringing out runs and making life easier on the secondary. He almost makes his defensive linemen right by triggering into blocking schemes quickly and explosively, ruining holes that would have otherwise opened. He has an impact beyond the stat sheet, which is rare for a rookie.

Cooper was one of four rookie defenders to earn an All-Pro vote, despite the early-season rotational role and a hamstring injury that forced him to sit out some time. If that doesn't speak to his splash-play impact, I don't know what does.

Evan Williams, S, Green Bay Packers

Williams was one of the breakout stars of the 2024 season. His success as a free safety with some box versatility allowed Javon Bullard (another 2024 rookie safety) to slide into the slot role, which better fit his skill set. But Williams wasn't just a functional starter who held his water -- he made more splash plays than Bullard by midseason.

The Packers put Williams on an open-side blitz in this clip with one idea in mind: On zone read, he'd be the extra player to account for Kyler Murray in space. That's a stiff ask. But Williams, who was a sure tackler last season, is sure-footed in the open field and patient reading Murray out here.

I found Williams' eyes and recognition as impressive as that of any rookie safety last season -- and better than plenty of veterans. By making plays in the box, he opened up more snaps for Xavier McKinney to rotate into the deep middle, where he's most dangerous as a ball hawk. A big part of McKinney's first All-Pro season was having a running mate in Williams who could match him in versatility, which made McKinney far tougher for opposing quarterbacks to predict.

Williams needs to improve in man coverage to become a complete safety. But even if he doesn't, he looks like a plus starter as a combo safety who can make big tackles. I don't think he should leave the field in any packages this season at all -- so long as he stays healthy, which was an issue last season.

The Packers open the preseason on Saturday night when they play host to the New York Jets at Lambeau Field. The regular season opener for the Green and Gold comes next month on Sunday, September 7th when they host division rival Detroit.

Listen to Packers football all season long on ESPN 102.3 AM 1000 KSOO!

Source: ESPN.com