5 Packers to Watch at Mandatory Minicamp

4. Edgerrin Cooper, Linebacker

One of the most fascinating positions to monitor during the Packers minicamp will be the linebacker spot. With new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley implementing a 4-3 scheme, this group is about to take on a whole new set of responsibilities.

The competition for playing time is going to be fierce. Quay Walker is penciled in to start in the middle and wear the green dot, but he's got company. Isaiah McDuffie, Eric Wilson, and rookies Ty'Ron Hopper and Edgerrin Cooper are all gunning for snaps in various formations.

Cooper, the Packers' 45th pick in this year's draft, has already begun to turn heads. His lethal mix of speed and strength was on full display during OTAs, and he's going to get every chance to show more during minicamp and training camp.

The Packers need someone—anyone—to step up here. Walker, despite the first-round pedigree, hasn't quite met expectations yet. And with De'Vondre Campbell cut loose this offseason, the team is thin on proven talent at linebacker.

It's a lot to ask of a rookie, but if Cooper can rise to the occasion, it could transform this defense. The Packers are banking on it.