Packers’ 2021 first round pick Eric Stokes is high-risk, high-reward
In what started as a hectic day for the Green Bay Packers’ organization–with, you know, the Aaron Rodgers’ rumors floating all over the place–the front office did themselves no favors by selecting Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes with the 29th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Stokes appeared to be the man Green Bay targeted as they stayed put in the first round for the first time in general manager Brian Gutekunst’s career and drafted him over a number of high-profile players still on the board. Those players included wide receiver Elijah Moore, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., defensive tackle Christian Barmore, and offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, among others.
Stokes addresses a position of need for the Packers. Jaire Alexander is one of the very best corners in the NFL, but he can only cover one guy at a time. Green Bay was exposed in the NFC Championship game when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady picked on Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan over and over again. Both players are back for Green Bay, but they hope to add some better long-term talent with Stokes.
The Green Bay Packers selected a high-risk, high-reward player by selecting Eric Stokes with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
At first glance, this appears to be a traditional boom or bust selection for Green Bay with no room for in between.
Stokes has the physical profile the Packers like. He ran a 4.29 40-yard dash, has a 38.5-inch vertical leap, and a Relative Athletic Score of 9.37–the scale goes up to 10 and anything over 8 is considered elite. This straight-line speed was evident in college as his testing time matched his tape.
He also has good experience playing press coverage, something head coach Matt LaFleur might prefer over the passive approach the defense took last season. Furthermore, he nabbed four interceptions last year (although that might be fools gold) and plays the ball fairly well.
So why then is this such a controversial pick for the Packers?
Stokes was extremely inconsistent at Georgia and many of the popular public analysts–ESPN’s Mel Kiper (71), PFF (72), and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler (71)–had him ranked much lower than where he ended up going. The Packers surely believe they saw something different otherwise this is one of the biggest reaches on Day 1.
Stokes also struggles to stick with wide receivers when they change directions. He has great straight-line speed, sure, but his agility is lacking. This forces him to uses his hands to hold receivers in and out of their breaks and can draw a lot of attention from the officials.
Next. Packers draft Stokes: The good, the bad, the grade. dark
The Packers are counting on Stokes working his way in slowly in Year 1 behind Alexander and King and then taking over full-time in Year 2. It will be interesting to see how this pans out for Green Bay who desperately needs production from one of their top picks. Stokes is a player who is hard to grade right now and we should come back to review this pick in three or four years as the needle could swing massively in one direction or the other.