The Green Bay Packers wanted to add more juice to their linebackers' corps, and adding a proven, hard-hitting veteran like Zaire Franklin to the mix may have been one of their biggest wins of the offseason. They could still look to add more firepower in free agency, but this was certainly a strong step in the right direction.
New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will have a true defensive quarterback and volume-hitter out there in the middle of the defense. However, that's not necessarily great news for the guys riding the pine in Wisconsin.
That's especially the case with Ty'Ron Hopper. A former third-round pick, he's played sparingly for Matt LaFleur's defense in his two years in the league. Now, with Franklin there, he may not take the field for another snap.
Zaire Franklin's arrival should have Ty'Ron Hopper on thin ice
Hopper has played in all 34 regular-season games since he entered the league, even making a couple of starts last season. However, that doesn't mean he's actually played. In fact, he was on the field for a grand total of 18 defensive snaps as a rookie and 126 last season -- just 11 percent of defensive snaps.
During that span, the former Missouri star has logged 33 total tackles (15 solo), one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. He does have some special teams value, playing 49 percent and 66 percent of special team snaps in his two years in the league, but with special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia no longer there and the Packers' special teams unit ranking among the worst in the league, that might not be enough to keep him in town.
As things stand now, the Packers are projected to roll into next season with Lukas Van Ness, Edgerring Cooper, Zaire Franklin, and Micah Parsons as the four starters in Gannon's 3-4 scheme. From there, Isaiah McDuffie and Brexton Cox Jr. might play the bulk of the snaps off the bench, with Dani Dennis-Sutton rotating behind Parsons and Van Ness as another pass rusher.
The Packers will feature two inside linebackers more often than not, so there might simply not be enough snaps for everybody. Hopper looked decent enough when he filled in for the injured and struggling Quay Walker last season, but with a new sheriff in town, it's hard to believe he'll have much of an opportunity to showcase his skills again in 2026. Barring another injury, he'll have OTAs to prove that he can bring much more to the table than just some special teams value.
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