​The Green Bay Packers’ linebacker room is currently a bit thin, with only seven players on the 91-man roster at a position that is typically expected to contribute five bodies to the 53-man roster. Our next roster preview will examine every off-ball linebacker on the team, outlining where each player stands on the depth chart and what they are expected to contribute to the Packers in 2026. If you want to revisit our earlier installments, here are links to our breakdowns of Green Bay’s other position rooms: quarterback, receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, and edge rusher.
This offseason, Green Bay will start a new Mike linebacker, following the departure of Quay Walker in free agency to the Las Vegas Raiders (a deal that should yield a 2027 fifth-round compensatory pick for Green Bay). In the lead-up to the draft, the Packers traded defensive lineman Colby Wooden, whose contract was expiring, to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for Zaire Franklin. Since acquiring Franklin, whom Green Bay has indicated they’ve pursued since before he became a starter in Indianapolis, the team has adjusted his contract and effectively added about $2 million to his value as a result of their gestures. At 30 years old, Franklin’s legs aren’t what they once were, but he should fit Green Bay’s new quarters-based scheme much better, as he’ll be able to pass off deeper routes to split safeties. In terms of credentials, Franklin earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 2024 after leading the NFL in combined tackles that year. He also has prior familiarity with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who coached in Indianapolis during Franklin’s first three NFL seasons (2018–2020). Through the spring and summer practices, Franklin has emerged as the Mike and the green dot communicator on defense.
With Franklin stepping into the Mike role, Edgerrin Cooper will remain the Will linebacker. Cooper posted more productive per-start numbers in 2024 than in 2025, in part because the Packers adopted a less exotic blitz and stunt approach after adding pass-rusher Micah Parsons. Opposing offenses in 2025 frequently leaned on the run or quick-game passing to avoid Parsons’ presence, which dampened Cooper’s blitzing opportunities. The real intrigue for Cooper in 2026 will be his on-field usage percentage. Gannon adjusts his package emphasis from year to year, and toward the end of his Arizona tenure he played a substantial amount of dime (one linebacker and six defensive backs) and penny (a 3-4 look with an inside linebacker off the field for a slot defender). In either of those alignments, the green dot linebacker (Franklin, at present) would stay on the field while the Will linebacker (Cooper) might come off the field.
That said, Cooper brings value beyond on-field numbers and should be a steady contributor for the Packers’ linebacker corps in 2026, even as the scheme evolves and roles shift. The dynamic at linebacker will continue to unfold as the team finalizes its depth and rotations, but the combination of Franklin’s experience, leadership, and adaptability with Cooper’s versatility and familiarity with Gannon’s system gives Green Bay a solid core to build around in the middle of the defense next season.