Green Bay Packers Positional Preview Series: Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, & the Linebackers

let's talk linebackers not a lot of old people in the linebacker room uh like none Edan Cooper Tyron Hopper added in the draft Quay Walker I I we talked a lot about him when the defensive coordinator search was underway CU I I think for me that was the big question I would ask any defensive coordinator candidate is how do you get this guy to the next level because clearly he's a terrific athlete um he it's just been hard for him to to put all the pieces together um obviously his rookie year he had a couple of those uh what would we call them heated moments where he lost his cool stupid mistakes getting ejected from games yeah that too um and then last year he was fine he he had a big started really well in the open and you thought oh my gosh this guy's going to take off at year two and he didn't I really thought we would see more just flashes mhm and after the interception return for a touchdown in week one there were not there weren't any and that's what makes me concerned that even a defensive coordinator switch is going to lock whatever potentials inside of quay Walker because even if you know if you are destined to be somebody who's going to be a pro bowler an all pro the way that I mean chewy thought that this guy could be potentially a defensive player of the year type that's how athletic he is but I I would like to think that no matter who your defensive coordinator is you would see flashes of that more and that's why I'm I'm just skeptical of him going into the season although and I guess that's also why I was surprised that he was at least in mini camps and OTAs he was the guy with the Green Dot I thought that might be a McKinny thing but as of right now there's they're choosing to trust Quay Walker so so why for all the praise that we give I mean we talk about Brian gakin like he is the general manager is what Alex graat is to the Madison radicals but why do we why do we not point out that those two first round picks that we just talked about have been underwhelming for their first two seasons well I think a lot of people a blade Joe Barry for that and are willing to give a little bit of a leash because of that right so if if qu Walker is disappointing this year then okay now we're looking at goody if if we get to a point where both of those first round picks are disappointing and they don't pick up the fifth year option at this time next year then that's going to come back and ref PO on groody mhm that's fair um and look they the the other guys that they have in that room are the older guys that are special team's only guys right uh Christian Welch uh and Eric Wilson who you know I still and I did write about this at one point cuz during the offseason there's not you know once you get through kind of the headline stories they you're kind of looking for different angles Eric Wilson may have made one of the biggest plays of the year had they not then lost that San Francisco game the fact that he recovers that fumble by Kean Nixon at the end of that long kickoff return was a huge play in the moment unfortunately we forget it because of Jordan Love's interception and Anders Carlson's Miss but those are the kinds of moments that now when they're in that position again will they get that kind of play because you need both those moments where you're a little bit lucky and a guy that you don't expect to be in a key role does something really important and your quarterback and your studs make the plays that you need them to make we will take a look at the state of the defensive backs in our three we will also look at state of the kicker and the overall state of the Packers Isaiah McDuffy where does he fit into this he's a starter right is he they they just draft they just used two high draft picks there's only really going to be two on the field even though they're a 43 they're going to be playing a lot of sub packages correct so there's only going to be two inside you know two linebackers I guess on the field at any given moment if we're assuming one's Quay I mean is it's either McDuffy McDuffy excuse me or Cooper Edan Cooper right and I I think we'll know more once we get into training camp but I would say this I would predict a little bit like we were talking about Jordan Morgan earlier on the offensive line I wouldn't be surprised if they started the year with Isaiah McDuffy as their number two on the field all the time running or full uh linebacker linebacker I got there eventually um I'm going to be pulling my pants up next as an old man I can't remember what position he plays but I think they'll start the season there but your hope look you don't draft Javon Bullard who we'll get to when we talk about the secondary and the 3:00 hour uh but you don't draft him and you don't draft Cooper to not play right away y so your expectation is for those guys to have an impact on the defense this year but remember Isaiah McDuffy has known Jeff Halley longer than anybody else that they have on this staff and so there is a connection there I will be curious to see even though they were only together for one year at uh at Boston College if that'll matter interesting uh well yeah it doesn't always work out that way uh a man we talked about last segment in Devonte Wyatt sometimes those draft picks just don't pan out right away like you anticipate they will but hopefully that's the case with this linebacker group what are you smiling about I I just enjoy people watching I usually am in my basement this is why they don't let you this is why they don't let you when they do do the third hour from here