From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling a prospect the Steelers are showing some interest in, that being Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
#45 EDGERRIN COOPER, LB, TEXAS A&M — 6020, 227 Lbs. (SENIOR)
Event Name
-2024 East-West Shrine Bowl
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Edgerrin Cooper | 6020/227 | 9 5/8″ | 33 1/2″ | 80 1/8″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
-Great range and athleticism for the position; fits new-age linebacker mold perfectly
-Impressive play recognition paired with athleticism and quick-twitch explosion to make plays in traffic
-Effective blitzer and looper; has good bend around the edge
-Consistently beats blockers to the hole to make plays against the run; often plays a step ahead, almost as if at a different speed entirely
-Changes directions with ease and slips blocks cleanly
-Good take-on technique against the run, staying square
-Long arms to help him make a number of plays as a tackler
-Comfortable playing in various alignments with different responsibilities
The Bad
– Wiry frame overall, especially lower half; needs to add some muscle to lower half
-Tends to guess against the run at times and can take himself out of the play entirely
-Doesn’t bring much thump as a tackler; more twist & roll than thump
-Slow getting off blocks when unable to slip, can get overwhelmed by interior linemen
-Awareness in zone coverage isn’t great; must learn to gain more depth in drops
Bio
-Consensus First Team All-American at Texas A&M in 2023
-Played in 45 career games at Texas A&M, starting 21 games, including all 12 in 2023
-Finished four-year career with 204 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, 10 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries
-Recorded 83 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 2023
-Named Texas A&M Defensive MVP for the 2023 season at the team banquet
-Former 4-star recruit out of Louisiana; was a top 10 player in the state senior year
-Turns 23 years old in November
Tape Breakdown
Throughout the pre-draft process, every evaluator tends to find a player that they just love and will stand on the table for every single year. For me, that guy is Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, a player I’ve been waiting to enter the NFL Draft for the last two seasons. While scouting other players from the SEC, I often found myself drawn to Cooper on tape.
Finally, I can break him down.
Cooper, who checked in at 6020, 227 pounds at the East-West Shrine Bowl with 33 1/8″ arms, didn’t practice or play in the Shrine Bowl, but he didn’t exactly need to. His tape at Texas A&M speaks for itself. He’s the perfect new-age linebacker with incredible athleticism, good size and length, and the ability to quickly process and utilize his strength, which is that athleticism and quick-twitch explosiveness.
It shows up all over his tape, which is very promising.
At A&M, Cooper played primarily off-ball at the MIKE in A&M’s 4-3 defense, but the Aggies moved him all over, too, putting him on wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs in coverage and even asked him to rush off the edge as a true pass rusher at times, too. He handled it all.
His ability to process as a run defender and find the football is rather, well, eye-opening.
He reads things so quickly, all while sifting through traffic in front of him. His ability to find the football quickly and cleanly, more often than not, jumps out on tape. He covers a ton of ground, too, like he did above against Tennessee last season.
Film study and recognition show up in a big way. He’s on the move immediately at the snap and has the physical traits to put him in a position to make the play.
Similar play here against Tennessee last season. Cooper is really good at staying clean against the run, slipping through gaps and finding the football. His long arms really help him as a tackler, too. He’s not the most physical linebacker and he’s not going to pack a punch as a tackler, but his long arms allow him to get guys on the ground consistently.
Cooper just processes so quickly.
He reads his keys in the blink of an eye and triggers downhill against the run, filling gaps. When he’s able to play downhill, and it’s in front of him, he plays under control. When he has to run a bit to the perimeter, that’s when he can get a little out of in front of the play and take himself out of position.
Inside the tackle box though, no real issue. He’s going to find the football and make a play. You don’t have to worry about him missing many tackles, either.
There are some concerns about his frame overall — I am worried about his lower body and how wiry it looks on tape and in person — but the guy knows how to slip blocks and utilize his athleticism and twitched-up physical traits to simply make plays.
Great job here against Ole Miss in 2023, scraping across to maintain his gap and then slipping under the climbing lineman to make a play against the run. Really intriguing play.
Good patience here against Alabama in 2023, allowing his eyes to take him to the football.
He reads run immediately, closes downhill to get even with the climbing lineman, and then has the athleticism to get around the block and make the tackle on the Crimson Tide running back. He just moves differently from other linebackers in the class. It’s undeniable.
What Cooper can do in space is freakish, too.
That’s against Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. Very few — if any — linebackers are making that play on Milroe in space the way Cooper does.
He changes directions so easily, closes a ton of ground in a hurry, and makes the play at the line of scrimmage. That’s a jaw-dropping display of range from Cooper. That’ll get you out of your seat, too.
In man coverage, Cooper is rather solid. He has the foot speed and loose hips to run with wide receivers and running backs, handling some snaps in the slot for the Aggies over the last two years. He has the size and length to handle tight ends, too. He needs to improve in zone coverage, though.
He doesn’t drop all that well and doesn’t get much depth. It’s allowed quarterbacks to throw over the top of him often. He’s too high in his backpedal and just looks clunky in his drop. He has the athleticism to do it properly; he just needs to be coached up.
Conclusion
Overall, there is so much to love about Edgerrin Cooper. He has great athleticism, is a twitched-up linebacker with terrific length, and has the production in the SEC to back up the pre-draft hype. He’s a perfect fit for that new-age, three-down linebacker in the NFL, one that can thrive against the run, handle coverage duties, and give defenses an answer in sub-package football.
He’s going to test off the charts at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and is going to start seriously generating first-round buzz. The tape is very impressive, and his testing numbers are going to be absurd. He’s the closest thing to Fred Warner we’ve seen in quite some time. When it comes to comparisons, though, he reminds me very much of Miami’s Jerome Baker, who has been very good since coming into the NFL in 2018 out of Ohio State.
Projection: Late Day 1/Early Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 8.5 (Future Quality Starter)
Games Watched: Mississippi State (2022), Alabama (2022), Tennessee (2023), Alabama (2023), Ole Miss (2023)
