While it remains early in the pre-draft process with Pro Days and official team visits still to go, it seems pretty clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers have quite a bit of interest in Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
After meeting with him at the East-West Shrine Bowl, the Steelers held a formal meeting at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine with Cooper. Based on the comments Cooper made at the podium regarding the Steelers, the interest from his own side in potentially being a member of the Black and Gold and playing for head coach Mike Tomlin seems rather strong.
“Great conversation going on [with the Steelers], and great coach. Just talking it up,” Cooper said of his formal meeting with the Steelers, according to the official transcript provided by the Pro Football Writers Association. “They are getting to know me and I’m getting to know them.
“[Coach Tomlin] has a great personality. Goofy, silly just like me,” Cooper added. “I feel like it’s a great thing with a similar personality.”
Cooper’s comments come on the heels of the Shrine Bowl in Dallas, where Cooper told Steelers Depot that the Steelers are “very interested” in him. As one of the top linebackers in the draft class, and with the Steelers having a very real need at the position due to Cole Holcomb’s injury situation, it is not a surprise that the Steelers have their eyes on Cooper.
“You know, they’re very interested. Yeah, I can’t reveal much, but they’re definitely interested,” Cooper said to Steelers Depot during the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Cooper, a first-team All-American in 2023, checked in at the Combine at 6021, 230 pounds, which was up from the 6020, 227 he measured in at in Dallas. During the 2023 season with the Aggies, Cooper recorded 83 tackles (17 for loss), 8.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
In four years in College Station, Cooper was a dominant figure defensively. Cooper recorded 204 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, 10 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Here’s what I had to say in my scouting report on Cooper for Steelers Depot:
“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.”
On Thursday, Steelers GM Omar Khan stated that the linebacker position is one “we obviously have to address” after highlighting Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson as the only healthy linebackers on the roster with Holcomb still recovering from a serious knee injury and Kwon Alexander set to hit free agency.
The draft class at the position is shaping up to be very strong, one that the Steelers could find themselves dipping into early.
