After the initial waves of free agency, draft news has started to pick up.
Teams have begun to set up top-30 visits with prospect draft selections to get a better understanding of the player that could join their squad for the 2024 season.
The Houston Texans have scheduled their first meeting with a local school product: Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Copper. He has seven top-30 visits over the next several weeks, according to Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler.
Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper has Top 30 visits scheduled with the following teams, per sources:
• Eagles
• Cowboys
• Texans
• Chargers
• Panthers
• Packers
• Buccaneers— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 14, 2024
The one-time All-American linebacker spent four seasons at A&M. After he redshirted his freshman year in 2020, Cooper became a full-time starter the following season in 2021. For his career, Cooper recorded 205 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks (eight of which were in 2023), three forced fumbles and two interceptions. Cooper led the SEC with 17.5 tackles for loss in 2023.
Cooper performed well at the NFL combine earlier this year. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds. Cooper leaped 34.5 inches in the vertical jump and 9-foot, 10-inches in the broad jump.
The former Aggie projects as a second-round pick, and Houston would be a favorable landing spot under head coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans have two second-round picks now, too, after the team traded the No. 23 pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 42 pick, a 2025 second-rounder and a late-round pick.
Ryans has experience working with rookie linebackers. When the San Francisco 49ers drafted Fred Warner in the third round in 2018, Ryans helped mold Warner into a three-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro. Ryans did the same with Harris and former Texan linebacker Blake Cashman in 2023, as both have career seasons. Cashman turned his contract year into a three-year deal worth $22.5 million with the Vikings.
There is no clear path to starting for Cooper in Houston if the team drafts him, though. The Texans already have two starting linebackers in Christian Harris and free-agent signing Azeez Al-Shaair. But Cooper would be a nice depth piece for a team that had a series of injuries at the position a year ago.
