One of the most surprising moves the Green Bay Packers made this off-season was trading interior defensive lineman Colby Wooden to the Indianapolis Colts for linebacker Zaire Franklin. Since it was apparent that Quay Walker was going to leave in free agency, many expected Green Bay to use one of their picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to address the position. However, they instead chose to do so almost two months before the draft by acquiring Franklin.
New Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has some familiarity with Franklin, as he was on the Indianapolis Colts coach staff early in the linebacker’s career.
It is this familiarity, along with the talent of incumbent Green Bay linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, that led Franklin to make a bold prediction about this upcoming season.
Green Bay Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin think he and Edgerrin Cooper will work well together
Cooper was a recent guest on “The Insiders” on NFL Network. During his interview, he was asked about how he thinks he will fit alongside Cooper, as the two are poised to be the Packers’ two starting inside linebackers in Gannon’s 3-4 base.
“When you got a quarterback and a pass-rush, you got a chance.”#Packers LB Zaire Franklin joined The Insiders on @NFLNetwork to discuss his new team, his new coordinator, and what he thinks of the schedule. pic.twitter.com/iLORzxJ5MJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 16, 2026
“The first thing I told him when I got traded was that we were going to be the best duo in the world,” Franklin said of Cooper.
Last year, the Packers linebacker, playing in his second NFL season, had 118 total tackles and 0.5 sacks in 16 games played. As a rookie, he had 87 total tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Teaming Cooper up with a veteran such as Franklin will help him gain a better understanding of the NFL game and hopefully help him take the next step in his career. If Gannon can unlock all of his potential, Cooper could be one of the best inside linebackers in the league.
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