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GREEN BAY, Wis. – For the Green Bay Packers defense to rise above mediocrity, second-round draft picks Javon Bullard and Edgerrin Cooper will need to be players who make an immediate impact.

That is exactly what NFL.com draft writer Chad Reuter expects. Both players were included in his projected All-Rookie Defensive Team.

Cooper was the team’s first second-round pick and made a splash at Texas A&M, and he will do the same with the Packers, Reuter said. Cooper, the Chargers’ Junior Colson and the Raiders’ Tommy Eichenberg were selected as All-Rookie linebackers.

“Cooper comes into a perfect situation in Green Bay, where his top-end speed and toughness will force the offense to consider him on every play,” Reuter wrote. “He and 2022 first-round pick Quay Walker will be the main linebackers in new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme, working inside and outside depending on the lineup.”

Cooper was an All-American last season with 84 tackles, including eight sacks and 17 tackles for loss, an SEC high. He also added two interceptions and three forced fumbles in three seasons of playing time.

“I challenged him last offseason to just do more to prepare,” said DJ Durkin, Cooper’s varsity position coach, new Auburn defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. said Packer Central after the draft“He’s an elite athlete and he’s relied on that his whole career. From high school in a small town to college, he could run around, play and do things depending on his ability, but he didn’t play at a consistent level.

“I challenged him. I said, ‘This is what you need to improve’ in terms of his off-field preparation and his training habits, and I went through a list with him. These are things that coaches do all the time, right? But some do, some don’t. He fully responded, accepted the challenge and really grew and matured as a person and as a player. And once again, the results speak for themselves.”

Bullard was part of the Green Bay Packers’ massive shakeup at safety. Gone are Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford, who combined for nearly 2,000 snaps last season. In their place are Xavier McKinney, the team’s big free agent signing, as well as Bullard (the team’s second-round pick), Evan Williams (fourth round) and Kitan Oladapo (fifth round).

“Bullard can play the ball and secure tackles in the open field whether he’s lined up deep or in the box, making him a great addition to … McKinney,” Reuter said. “Hafley will have the flexibility to play one-man or two-man coverage. Bullard showed a penchant for making big plays in big games during his career at Georgia.”

Bullard will bring physicality and versatility to the secondary – two things that have been lacking so far. He played primarily in the slot in 2022, when he had seven tackles for loss, and primarily as a free safety in 2023, when he had two interceptions and seven passes defensed.

Among Power 5 Conference safeties with at least 200 coverage snaps last year, he was No. 1 in forced incompletion percentage (26.9 percent) and No. 2 in passer rating allowed (34.0), according to Pro Football Focus. He was also an efficient and physical tackler as “small stick of dynamite” on the Bulldogs’ strong defense.

“Whatever needs to be done, Bull will do it,” said new Syracuse coach Fran Brown, who was Georgia’s defensive backs coach for the past two years. said Packer Central after the draft. “If you guys tell Bull he needs to be a long snapper, he’s going to have a really good, efficient snap time. That’s just who he is and what makes him tick.”

Reuters chose Bullard, who was selected 58th, and Cole Bishop of the Bills, who was selected 60th, as safety.

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