2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Edgerrin Cooper

Prospect Summary:

Cooper was one of the best linebackers in college football during 2023 as a physical force for the Aggies. He totaled 83 tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defended on the year. For 2022, Cooper recorded 61 stops, a forced fumble, an interception and five passes batted. In 2021, he collected 58 tackles and one pass breakup.

As a linebacker, Cooper is the complete package. He has good instincts and is very fast to read his keys to get in position to make plays. For a big and thick linebacker, Cooper shows good quickness to get to the perimeter, and he eats up space in a hurry. Cooper is explosive and really athletic for a thickly built linebacker. In the ground game, Cooper is a very good tackler who wraps up ball-carriers and puts them into the turf with force. Cooper has the size and mentality to take on blocks, hold his ground, shed the block, and get in on tackles. He is a tough run defender and projects to be a force to shut down and limit the offense’s ground game.

In pass coverage, Cooper has some ability to contribute, but he is not a natural at it. On dumpoff passes to the flat, Cooper explodes into the ball-carrier and is very good at making tackles in space. He is going to need to work on his feet and at dropping into coverage as a pro.

At the East-West Shrine, Cooper had some terrible interviews with teams. Those interviews gave them reason to think that his ego and attitude could be a pain to work with.

For the next level, Cooper has the potential to be a three-down starter. He looks like an early-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.