HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 230

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 34"

WINGSPAN: 80¼"

40-YARD DASH: 4.51

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 34.5"

BROAD: 9'10"

POSITIVES

— Very good speed to carry running backs and tight ends on deep routes, be an effective Tampa 2 dropper or spy.

— Uses his hands well and has good change of direction and fluid hips to help stay in phase in man coverage.

— Movement skills also help him be effective as the looper in line games when blitzing.

— Quick to read gap runs and can beat offensive linemen to the spot.

— Solid at using his change of direction to slip blocks when linemen climb to the second level.

— Speed gives him good sideline-to-sideline range against the run and allows him to close quickly on running backs.

— Wraps up when tackling and appears to have long arms to help increase his radius.

NEGATIVES

— Wiry frame. Needs to add size and strength to help hold his ground and get off blocks against the run.

— Is late to get his hands up and is pretty upright when taking on blocks.

— Can come in too hot in pursuit and doesn't sink and break down well in open space, making him susceptible to getting juked out by shifter ball-carriers.

— Not going to knock anyone backward when tackling in short-yardage situations.

— Awareness in zone coverage needs work. Gets caught staring in the backfield and will leave his area open.

2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 84 TOT, 17.0 TFL, 8.0 SK, 2 PD, 1 FR, 2 FF

NOTES

— Born Nov. 17, 2001

— 4-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

OVERALL

Speed is Edgerrin Cooper's best asset. He can fly.

That helps him in man coverage, as he can cover tight ends and running backs on deep routes. Combined with his impressive lateral movement skills, he rarely is out of phase when playing man. It also helped him rack up sacks as a spy since he can close on ball-carriers in a hurry.

As a run defender, Cooper reads gap runs quickly and can beat offensive linemen to the spot. However, when he can't use his movement skills to slip blocks, he's too wiry to hold his ground and will get pushed out of the gap. He needs to add size and strength to be effective on early downs in the NFL.

The good news is that the Texas A&M product is physical and not afraid to throw his body around as a run defender. He has the right mindset and could grow in this area with more time in the weight room.

Overall, Cooper is a bit of a project who might take a year or two to catch on. But in a weak linebacker class, he'll be one of the top options available at the position.

Schematically, he'd be best as a "Will" linebacker in even fronts for a team that uses a lot of man coverage and fire zone blitzes. That will allow play-callers to take advantage of his ability to impact the passing game, as he's a good coverage 'backer and blitzer.

GRADE: 7.3 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 57

POSITION RANK: LB1

PRO COMPARISON: Jerome Baker

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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