The Packers have built a LB room that can blitz the quarterback

“I just think he’s an explosive player,” linebackers coach Anthony Campanile said of Cooper. “He has a lot of physically explosive traits. And he has a very good start. So there are elements where you watch this that definitely stand out from the tape.

“If you look at those reps, he has the ability to trash people — and he does it in pass coverage as well. so to me, he just has a well-rounded foundation in terms of his skills, what he’s able to do, and that usually translates into being a good passer.

At Boston College, Hafley’s defenses did not rank highly in blitz rate, finishing ninth among 14 ACC teams in blitz rate on passing plays in 2023. Instead, he relied more on his defensive fronts to cause disruption.

However, on third downs, Boston College turned up the pressure, ranking second in blitz rate on third-down passes at 55.5 percent of the time, which also included six-man pressures.

It’s not like the Packers never bombed their linebackers under Joe Barry, Walker saw some opportunities with his 76 attempts in 2023, ranking 28th among all linebackers. Isaiah McDuffie, however, who was second on the team with 29 pass rush attempts from the linebacker position, ranked 72nd overall.

As Gutekunst has mentioned several times this offseason, it’s a nickel league, meaning only 20 to 25 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps will be accompanied by three linebackers on the field, and that’s why he puts emphasis on versatility.

With multiple linebackers who can wear a variety of hats, it adds a layer of unpredictability to the defense, with offenses not being able to easily decipher who has what responsibility simply based on where they are lined up.

Given the skills the Packers have at linebacker, it’s hard to imagine blitzing from the linebacker position not being a factor to some extent. But that said, don’t expect it to be the blitz-heavy Chiefs or Vikings either.

Blitz is a piece of the puzzle that opponents will need to consider, but it doesn’t represent the entire picture.

“If a guy takes a good, explosive first step,” Campanile said of putting pressure on the quarterback, “for me, in general, the downhill is probably the most important part of the pass rush for anyone , and I’ve been fortunate to do that and be surrounded by guys who have done a great job with that and other guys who have done a great job coaching.

“For me, it’s really those first four steps of the run, not that first step – the grind to get to the point of attack and get to the junction point with the tackle and do a good job of reading the snap of the ball , and then obviously reading the offensive lineman’s set So there’s a lot to do, but he’s got a really good foundation to start there.