The Green Bay Packers are hitting a fork in the road at off-ball linebacker in 2025. Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper, two 2024 draft picks, are entering Year 2. And veterans Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson are both free agents.
Should the Packers simply move forward with the young draft picks and replace the veteran free agents during the draft? Or will the Packers prioritize bringing back one of McDuffie or Wilson?
We already dug into the decision on McDuffie. Now, it’s Wilson’s turn. The core special teamer has been in Green Bay since the 2022 season and actually made several big plays as a backup linebacker for Jeff Hafley in 2024.
#Packers LB Eric Wilson vs. the Texans:
— TFL on 2nd-10, helps force FG try
— Sack on 3rd-5, forces punt
— Pass breakup on 3rd-5, forces punt
— Sack on 3rd-9, forces punt
— Special teams tackle covering punt
— TFL on 2nd-8, helps force punt pic.twitter.com/Ta2E8FI9T6— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) October 21, 2024
Here are some reasons for and against re-signing Wilson, and what we would do if we were the Packers this offseason:
Reasons for
— Wilson has played over 2,000 career snaps on special teams across eight NFL seasons, and his 32 combined solo and assisted tackles on special teams while in Green Bay over the last three seasons led the team. He’s played at least 200 career snaps on five different special teams phases (field goal block, punt return, kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt coverage).
— While his value is highest on special teams, Wilson has played almost 3,000 career snaps at linebacker, including 559 snaps — his most since 2020 — last season.
— Wilson was actually a 12-game starter in 2024. He made a key interception against the Colts in Week 2, delivered 2.0 sacks and four tackles for loss against the Texans in Week 7, produced nine tackles and a tackle for loss against the Jaguars in Week 8 and finished with two quarterback hits against the Seahawks in Week 15. He finished with seven tackles for loss and two turnovers forced in 2024.
— Wilson has 60 career solo or assisted tackles on special teams. He is one of the most experienced and productive special teams players at his position in football.
— Wilson has been remarkably consistent on special teams, producing a PFF grade of 70.0 or higher during six of his seven healthy seasons. He’s finished with an elite grade over 90.0 three times, including in Green Bay in 2022. He is reliable and occasionally difference-making for the third phase.
— Both Matt LaFleur and Jeff Hafley spoke glowingly about Wilson as a person, teammate and player during the 2024 season. He is highly regarded in Green Bay.
— Wilson arrived in Green Bay in 2022 and hasn’t missed a single game since, appearing in 47 straight games. He is an older player, but durability has been an asset.
— Wilson’s grade on defense ended up at 64.3 at PFF in 2024 — perfectly reasonable for a backup linebacker. He actually finished with 23 stops, or a tackle constituting a failure for the offense.
— Retaining him for 2025 wouldn’t be expensive. His one-year deal for 2024 included a base salary of just $1.2 million. Another one-year deal near the vet minimum — meaning a cap number under $2 million — is likely all that would be required to keep Wilson for 2025.
— The Packers don’t have depth at linebacker. Only Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper are currently under contract at the position for 2025.
Reasons against
— Wilson turns 31 in September. The Packers may want to continue the youth movement building at linebacker.
— Edgerrin Cooper needs to be an every-down player in 2025. Ty’Ron Hopper, a third-round pick, should get a legitimate chance to win the job as the No. 3 linebacker. The Packers will want their recent draft picks on the field in a bigger role next season.
— Wilson missed 11 tackles and had a 15.1 missed tackle percentage in 2024. His missed tackle percentage for his career is over 13.0, which is far too higher for a linebacker.
— Teams picked on Wilson at times in coverage, contributing to some of the defense’s issues covering the middle of the field. Wilson gave up two touchdown passes and 141 yards after the catch on targets into his coverage last season.
What I would do
The Packers may need to pick between re-signing Wilson, a veteran special teamer, or McDuffie, who started all 17 games last season. There’s no guarantee Ty’Ron Hopper will develop into a capable No. 3 linebacker in 2025, so the Packers might feel it necessary to bring back McDuffie as an insurance policy. But if there’s any confidence in Hopper, or the market for McDuffie is bigger than expected, bringing back Wilson and letting McDuffie walk should be an easy choice. Wilson is an ideal backup linebacker in the 4-3 who can play snaps in a pinch within a scheme he knows while also providing reliability and real value on special teams. Wilson is older, but getting him back on another one-year deal near the veteran minimum would both solidify depth at linebacker and keep a core player for Rich Bisaccia.