Countdown to camp: Packers look to further unleash linebackers' potential

Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper lead fast, versatile position room

Jul 19, 2025 at 09:00 AM

Wes Hodkiewicz

packers.com senior writer

"Countdown to camp" is a position-by-position overview of the Packers' roster heading into training camp. The series continues with the linebackers.

GREEN BAY – The Packers' hiring of Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator in 2024 came with impeccable timing for a linebacker room bursting with speed, versatility and athleticism.

Now, they're all back for more.

Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Kristian Welch and Ty'Ron Hopper are set to return while Green Bay added former first-round pick Isaiah Simmons in free agency.

In addition to their positional responsibilities, the linebacker unit contributed heavily to the Packers' pass-rush plan in 2024. Through a barrage of blitzes and simulated pressures, Green Bay's linebackers produced 17 quarterback hits and 8½ sacks.

The leader of the charge was the fourth-year veteran Walker (6-4, 241), whom Hafley tabbed early on as the "Mike" linebacker responsible for wearing the communication headset and relaying defensive calls.

The former first-round pick responded with his third straight 100-tackle campaign despite missing four games due to a concussion and ankle injury. In the process, Walker became the second Packer to record 100-plus tackles in each of his first three seasons (Nick Barnett, 2003-05), according to Stathead.

The 25-year-old linebacker is one of just six NFL players with at least 325 tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, six sacks, 10 passes defensed and three forced fumbles over the past three seasons.

Joining Walker in the starting lineup for the first time on a full-time basis was McDuffie (6-1, 227), who registered a career-high 97 tackles with three passes defensed, a forced fumble and half sack. The Packers acted quickly to re-sign the former sixth-round pick a week before the start of free agency in March.

The experience and stability of Walker and McDuffie allowed Hafley to get creative with how he deployed Cooper, a rookie second-round pick out of Texas A&M.

The 23-year-old linebacker used his athleticism and 4.51 40 time to rack up 87 tackles (13 for loss), 3½ sacks, and an INT. He also led Green Bay with 10 tackles on special teams.

Cooper earned a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie team after being the only NFL player to record at least 75 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, an INT, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Cooper, whose 13 tackles for loss were the most by a Packers rookie since Clay Matthews (17) in 2009, had improvement on his mind this offseason while pushing his 6-foot-2 frame closer to 240 pounds.

Selected one round after Cooper, Hopper (6-2, 228) played primarily on special teams as a rookie but flashed in the preseason, including an 11-tackle performance in Denver.

The 24-year-old linebacker is one of several candidates to fill the void left by veteran Eric Wilson after he signed with Minnesota in free agency. The Packers also brought in a pair of sixth-year veterans in Simmons and Welch.

Simmons, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, possesses prodigious speed for a 6-foot-4, 238-pound linebacker but is still searching for the right fit for his unique skill set.

Simmons believes Hafley’s scheme could be the answer. Still only 26, he has 329 tackles, nine forced fumbles, 8½ sacks, and five interceptions in 84 games (42 starts) in five seasons spent with Arizona and the New York Giants.

A native of nearby Iola, Wis., Welch (6-3, 240) is back with the Packers after playing 14 games with his childhood team in 2023. A respected special-teamer, Welch made a convincing bid for a roster spot last summer before being among Green Bay's final cuts.

Welch split the 2024 season between Denver and Baltimore, recording 13 tackles and a fumble recovery over 15 games.

The Packers didn't take a linebacker in the draft but signed former Georgia and Kentucky linebacker Jamon Johnson as an undrafted free agent.

The 6-foot-1, 236-pound linebacker recorded 192 tackles (24 for loss), 13 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions, eight passes defensed and 30 QB hits in 49 collegiate games with 35 starts.