Paul Bretl | 8/14/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — We often hear about Year 2 leaps for NFL players who are entering their sophomore seasons. Through three weeks of training camp, Packers’ linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper appears to be making that next step.
“I think it’s a lot to do with confidence,” said linebackers coach Sean Duggan. “He knows what he’s supposed to do, he knows where he’s supposed to fit. So now he’s able to play a little faster, a little more free.”
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Hopper was a third-round pick by the Packers in the 2024 NFL draft out of Missouri. His role defensively last season was small, as he played just 18 snaps over three appearances. However, Hopper was a core special teams contributor, playing 227 snaps across three different phases.
Coming into his second NFL season and having a full offseason to work on his craft, Hopper added roughly 10 pounds of good weight. He played around 228 as a rookie–sometimes lighter–but is now up to 237 and is “packing even more punch.”
“Just getting my body right, honestly,” Hopper said of his offseason. “That was just my priority. Just getting my body right. Just making sure I can hold up for camp and season, so I can be moving good and things like that.”
That added confidence that Hopper is playing with comes from the experience gained over the last year and the reps now under his belt. He’s no longer adjusting to the NFL play speed, and he knows what he needs to do on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis to put himself in the best position to be successful.
There’s also an added comfort level that Hopper has with Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme and what’s being asked of him. During his time at Missouri, Hopper mostly played the WILL linebacker position, but with the Packers, most of his practice time has come as the MIKE.
Beyond what takes place once the ball is snapped, the MIKE linebacker is in charge of relaying the play call, making sure everyone is set, and calling out any adjustments that are needed.
“I mean, it’s my second year. It’s been coming pretty easily and more natural to me,” Hopper said.
Hopper plays a very physical brand of football. This was on display during Tuesday’s training camp practice, where on a run up the middle by Emanuel Wilson, Hopper popped him at the line of scrimmage, which sent the ball flying through the air. Hopper celebrated the hit, and the defense recovered the fumble.
“He’s a big, physical guy,” added Duggan. “One thing I really respect about him is when he hits you, like he’s going to knock you back. So I think his confidence level and I think he’s playing faster, and that’s starting to show.”
In the Packers’ preseason opener, Hopper saw extended playing time with 35 defensive snaps. He ended up making nine total tackles, including three stops–tied for the ninth-most among linebackers–and he allowed one completion for only five yards.
Although not the be-all, end-all, it is worth noting that Hopper had the seventh-best overall grade from PFF of any linebacker during Week 1 of the preseason.
“I’d say I’m a lot more comfortable and confident,” Hopper said of being in Year 2.
While Hopper is certainly progressing, he still finds himself at a fairly crowded position group. When the Packers’ first-team defense is in nickel, Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker are the two linebackers on the field. When in their base 4-3 look, Isaiah McDuffie comes on the field.
This has left Hopper working almost exclusively with the second team defense, where he is the MIKE linebacker with Isaiah Simmons and Kristian Welch to his left and right.
The Packers continue to cross-train Hopper as well, giving him some outside linebacker reps with the third team defense, so he can fill different roles as needed. But make no mistake about it, Hopper’s primary responsibility has been as the MIKE linebacker.
It’s been a strong start to training camp for Hopper, but an important 10 days are ahead with the Packers have two joint practices and two preseason games in that span.
“I think he’s done a really nice job,” Matt LaFleur said of Hopper’s play. “I think you can really see the growth from one year to the next, and the expectation is that you build upon that each and every day and then when we get to the preseason games, you go out there and do what you’ve been doing in practice.”