The Green Bay Packers open training camp on Wednesday, July 29, marking the unofficial start of the 2026 season for Matt LaFleur's team. After a third straight playoff appearance but another disappointing postseason failure, the Packers are hoping to finally get over the hump in 2026. The process begins in full on July 29.
Packers Wire will go position by position previewing the roster, highlighting battles to watch, the things that actually matter and young players to monitor this summer.
Here is our training camp preview of the off-ball linebackers:
On the roster (7)
- Zaire Franklin
- Edgerrin Cooper
- Isaiah McDuffie
- Ty'Ron Hopper
- Nick Niemann
- Kristian Welch
- TJ Quinn
Positional breakdown
The Packers traded for Zaire Franklin when it became clear that Quay Walker would exit in free agency, providing a veteran starter who was a Pro Bowl player in 2024. Franklin is coming off a down
season in Indianapolis in 2025 and must rebound. He will be the expected "Mike" linebacker and wear the communication helmet for the defense. The other big change here is in defensive front, where Jonathan Gannon's 3-4 base will require only two off-ball linebackers on most snaps. The Packers are experienced at the position, with Isaiah McDuffie providing a capable backup with starting experience, and 2024 third-round pick Ty'Ron Hopper and veteran special teamers Nick Niemann and Kristian Welch competing behind the top three. Edgerrin Cooper is the budding star, and it'll fall on the new Packers defensive staff to unlock more of his incredible playmaking ability in 2026. -- Zach Kruse
What to watch: What are the Packers getting in Zaire Franklin?
Coming off arguably his worst season as a pro, the Packers are hoping 2025 was an outlier for Franklin and not an indication of regression. He was ranked 87th out of 88 qualified linebackers by Pro Football Focus, but he’s stepping in for Quay Walker, who wasn’t rated much better at 74th. Green Bay is banking on Franklin playing closer to the level he showed in 2024 when he led the league in tackles, defended six passes, forced five fumbles, recorded 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions. A resurgence is hardly guaranteed, though, for a player who turned 30 this offseason. At the very least, Franklin will be a veteran presence, but the Packers hope they are getting an actual difference-maker. -- Brandon Carwile
What actually matters: How will Jonathan Gannon deploy Edgerrin Cooper?
Cooper was scintillating as a rookie, mostly in a part-time role, becoming a fully-fledged starter by the end of the year and taking that starting spot into 2025. In year two, he was more reliable in terms of the mental side, earning praise from the coaches for being in the right spot more consistently. However, that was arguably to the detriment of his ability to create splash plays. Now it is on Gannon to find a balance and get the most out of Cooper. He has already experimented with the uber talented linebacker by lining him up on the edge as a pass rusher during the offseason program. It will be interesting to see how Cooper is utilized during camp and what signals that sends about his role once the regular season rolls around. -- Mark Oldacres
Young player to watch: Ty'Ron Hopper
It might be now or never time for Hopper, a 2024 third-round pick. The Packers clearly weren't comfortable trusting him to take over a starting job in Year 3, so they traded for Zaire Franklin and extended the contract of Isaiah McDuffie to solidify the top three. Hopper will go into his third training camp no higher than fourth on the depth chart at a position where only two players are on the field. Could he be on the roster bubble? Or a trade candidate? Regardless, Hopper needs a strong summer. He could be a valuable young player who contributes across multiple special teams groups and pushes for playing time, but it's getting harder and harder to see a pathway to the field on defense that doesn't involve an injury or two. That's a disappointing reality for a former top 100 pick. Time to change the narrative. -- Zach Kruse
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers training camp preview: Zaire Franklin takes over at linebacker
