Earlier this week, ESPN analyst Matt Miller released his midseason NFL Draft rankings ahead of next year’s Draft, as two emerging Texas A&M defenders have continued to climb up their respective position groups amid the Aggies’ defensive dominance nine games into the 2023 college football season.
According to Miller, Junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and senior defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson are both rated 5th in their respective positions, as both players will only continue to rise in nearly every Draft-related ranking heading into 2024.
This season, Cooper leads the team in tackles (59) and sacks (7) and is second in the country with 16.5 tackles for loss. In contrast, Jackson’s 20 tackles and three sacks have elevated his Draft stock after taking on a leadership postion among a talented but still young defensive line this season, which has been the predominant strength of the team for the entire SEC slate, despite the four losses.
Even in the Aggies’ recent 38-35 loss to Ole Miss, both players did their part, while Cooper tied for second in tackles (7) with senior strong safety Demani Richardson. While much of the outside focus will revolve around head coach Jimbo Fisher’s job security, Edgerrin Cooper and McKinnley Jackson are future NFL stars in the making and deserve the coverage.
Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.
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