5 Packers Fans Will Be Happy to See Leave in Free Agency

4. Eric Stokes

The Eric Stokes era is coming to an unceremonious end in Green Bay.

Drafted 29th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, Stokes was a high-upside pick out of Georgia. He didn’t post eye-popping numbers in college, but his combination of size (6 feet tall) and athleticism made him an intriguing prospect. The Packers bet on his potential and hoped he’d develop into a cornerstone of their secondary.

Early on, that plan seemed to be working. Stokes had an excellent rookie season, raising hopes that he and Jaire Alexander could form one of the league’s best cornerback duos. But things unraveled quickly.

His second season started with inconsistent play before injuries wiped out much of 2022 and all of 2023. Stokes returned for 2024, but the player who showed so much promise as a rookie was nowhere to be found.

The most glaring issue has been his lack of ball skills. Since his rookie season, Stokes hasn’t touched a single pass thrown his way—no interceptions, no pass breakups, no tipped balls. For a cornerback, that’s a fatal flaw.

The Packers wisely declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract before the season. Stokes did nothing in 2024 to make them second-guess that decision. With a cornerback overhaul likely on the horizon, moving on from Stokes is the logical next step for Green Bay.

What began with promise now ends with disappointment. It’s time for the Packers to retool their secondary and close the book on the Eric Stokes experiment.