GREEN BAY – Edgerrin Cooper wanted nothing more than to be out on Nitschke Field with the rest of his Packers teammates during his first NFL training camp – and he wasn't hiding it.
During his three-week absence with a hip injury, the rookie linebacker could be seen far down the field matching his footwork to his fellow linebackers and adjusting to the defensive front seven during 11-on-11 periods of practice.
Last Friday in Brazil, Cooper traded in the shadow-boxing gloves for his shoulder pads during an 11-snap NFL debut in which he recorded three tackles and pass deflection against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was a small but meaningful step for Green Bay's second-round pick, who'd been champing at the bit to get back out there.
"I was really excited. I've been itching to go out there for a long time and hit people," Cooper said. "So, being able to get out there is a great confidence builder to get everything settled in."
The Packers dedicated both of their Day 2 picks in this year's NFL Draft to the linebacker position, selecting Cooper at No. 42 before taking Missouri's Ty'Ron Hopper in the third round (91st overall).
Before their bids for starting jobs could begin in earnest, though, both rookies were saddled with injuries this summer. The hip issue was especially frustrating for Cooper, who played most of his four seasons at Texas A&M without any injury interruption.
He started practicing again on a limited basis near the end of training camp but wasn't cleared for action in the preseason.
"It was a real challenge," Cooper said. "It's hard to play football without actually being able to practice and going out there and getting reps and seeing what I see and preparing for each team. Coming back was one of the best things that could happen. Just a challenge I had to attack."
Feeling like himself again, Cooper rotated with veteran Eric Wilson as the Packers' third linebacker against the Eagles. Lined up off the edge in a base front, Cooper's first NFL play saw him fight through a block from Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra to tackle Jalen Hurts.
The 22-year-old linebacker helped Green Bay earn its first three-and-out in the third quarter when he held Saquon Barkley to a 2-yard gain on second-and-10, a play Cooper referred to as his "Welcome to the feeling."
Cooper also showed his speed and explosiveness when he blitzed off the edge at the start of the fourth quarter and batted down a Hurts pass at the line of scrimmage.
While Cooper wasn't perfect - there was one early misalignment on Barkley's 11-yard TD run in the first quarter - Head Coach LaFleur saw promise in the rookie's performance, which could result in him more snaps this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
"It was good to get him out there," LaFleur said. "He certainly flashed and made some plays. I would anticipate him getting more time moving forward."
Green Bay's remodeled defense had its moments against the Eagles, including back-to-back takeaways to start the game, but struggled to maintain that early momentum over four quarters.
Philadelphia finished with 410 total yards in the 34-29 victory, with Barkley bruising his way to 109 yards and two touchdowns.
The Packers now host a Colts offense with many commonalities as the Eagles, including a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback (Anthony Richardson) and a proven bell-cow back (Jonathan Taylor).
The key to having more success against Indianapolis isn't a secret. Containing Richardson is an obvious must, but tackling and proper alignment are the framework to executing.
"Make better tackles, just communicate better and be on the same page with everybody," Cooper said. "I feel like there were a lot of simple things that we did to beat ourselves. So, just doing the simple things as far as communicating, everybody being on the same page and doing what we need to do."
Cooper's immersion into Green Bay's defense isn't out of the ordinary for a top 50 draft pick. In fact, it's been more the rule than the exception over the past 12 years.
Casey Hayward played just three snaps in the Packers' opener during his six-INT season in 2012. Kenny Clark had nine plays against Jacksonville in 2016, Rashan Gary received six against Chicago in 2019, and Devonte Wyatt had a dozen snaps in 2022.
Cooper knows reps grow as experience is gained. Whatever the coaches ask of the rookie on Sunday, Cooper will be ready after an encouraging debut.
"It felt so good. It was the best feeling ever," Cooper said. "Doing stuff like that, it just builds confidence. Seeing what it's like out there, adapting to the speed of the game. It was a great feeling going out there and getting my feet wet."
