The Green Bay Packers defense has some star power, but not enough to say that it is one of the more top-heavy groups in the NFL. Green Bay’s defensive triplets, or their top defensive lineman, linebackers, and secondary members, ranked 14th in the NFL, per Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated.
The triplets listed for Green Bay included Micah Parsons, Edgerrin Cooper, and Xavier McKinney. Two things were holding the Packers trio back. The first is that Parsons is expected to miss the first month of the season as he recovers from an ACL injury. The other is that Cooper did not take the necessary steps in year two to be a high-end linebacker. A healthy Parsons and an improved Cooper in year three would be much higher on the list.
The Green Bay Packers Need a Healthy Micah Parsons in 2026
GettyGreen Bay Packers edge-rusher Micah Parsons
It is fair that the Packers’ defense would be vaunted with a healthy Parsons, and yet they could be a struggling unit if they do not get him back on the field in time. What is interesting is that some of the rushers ahead of Parsons bring similar questions.
Trey Hendrickson and TJ Watt were ahead of the Packers trio, but they are coming off of injury-riddled seasons. Watt has had a few years with nagging issues. The Detroit Lions ranked eighth with Brian Branch being included in the secondary, but there is a better chance he misses the entire 2026 season at this point as he recovers from a patellar tendon.
Then, Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers ranked 7th, but he was banged up in 2024 and suffered an ACL injury in 2025. Bosa suffered his injury earlier than Parsons, but the ranking seems to be weighing injuries based on feel rather than actual analysis.
The Packers Anticipate an Edgerrin Cooper Breakout
Verderame also did not like the year that Cooper had in 2025, but if he talked to Packers coaches, he might have a different perception. Cooper went from 87 combined tackles in 2024 to 118 in 2025. The team is already giving him a bigger role on the defense this year, as they liked what he did last year and want to see him produce more.
It might be fair that the group is not quite in the top five with the questions to Parsons and Cooper, but 14th feels a bit low for this group. Parsons should be back before the start of the second half of the season, and when he is healthy, only Myles Garrett shines above him. Garrett’s team is ranked first.
Xavier McKinney is viewed as one of the best safeties in the NFL, so he could be right behind Trent McDuffie of the Rams as well. Then, there is Cooper, who is better than Verderame suggests. The Rams’ linebacker is Nate Landman, who is good but is not overpowering at the position.
So, Green Bay is only a slight drop off from the Rams at all three positions. Despite being 14th, they compare well to some of the best groups on paper.
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