Collin Oliver may be getting more attention in 2026. (Photo: Tork Mason-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)
By Mark Eckel
Which players on the Green Bay Packers defense stand to gain the most from the switch to defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon in 2026?
It's not a secret that certain players perform better in certain schemes than they do in others. And that different coaches ask different things from different players in those schemes.
So who should Packers fan look for to thrive under Gannon where maybe they didn't under Jeff Hafley? Here are a few.
LB Ty'Ron Hopper — Gannon likes linebackers who can cover and Hopper is better at that than both free agent to be Quay Walker and Hafley favorite Isaiah McDuffie. In the playoff loss to Chicago, Hopper had one of the team's two interceptions of Caleb Williams. In a limited sample size last season — he played a total of just 126 snaps on defense — opposing QBs targeted Hopper five times and completed just one pass for nine yards. This is what Ourlads Guide to the NFL Draft said about him prior to the 2024 draft: "Flashes cover skills with speed to match tight ends in the seam and cover backs on short routes out of the backfield. As a zone defender gets depth in his drops and has a feel for route combinations.'' The Packers spent a 2024 third-round pick on the University of Missouri product for a reason and it wasn't just for his special teams prowess. Look for an increase amount of playing time, especially if Walker leaves. And look for those coverage skills to be on display.
Edge Collin Oliver — If any defensive coordinator will know what to do with the undersized at 6-2, 240 pounds Oliver it's Gannon. As the DC of the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles Gannon got the best out of Haasan Reddick, who measures the same 6-2, 240. Actually Reddick might be a shade under 6-2. That year Reddick led the Eagles, who set a team record for sacks, with 16. That was the most in a single season of his stellar career. Oliver's rookie year was spent mostly on PUP before he was activated late in the season. In the one regular-season game he played, against the Vikings, he had a tackle for a loss and two QB hits. In three years at Oklahoma State Oliver recorded 39 TFS and 23 sacks. Gannon will try to get those kinds of plays out of Oliver on a regular basis.
LB Edgerrin Cooper — Cooper looked like a star in the making as a rookie and if it weren't for a few injuries would have been right there for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Last year he played well, but his production took a step back because he was asked to cover more than blitz. Gannon will use Cooper in a variety of ways and one will be to simply make plays. That could be in coverage at times. But he's likely to turn him loose and let him go after the quarterback as well. Look for Cooper to have an All-Pro kind of year under his new coordinator.
The Safeties — If you've done any research on Gannon you've heard the line he likes to use his safeties. And he has no problem putting three on the field at a time. The Packers used Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams and Javon Bullard together at times under Hafley as well. Those three, who happen to be three of the unit's best players, will be utilized even more under Gannon with the hopes of them making big plays. You might see more of fourth safety Kitan Oladapo as well.