The Green Bay Packers made two additions to the roster on Monday. They inked G Aaron Banks and CB Nate Hobbs to multi-year deals as they seek to improve this roster for the 2025 season.
With Hobbs in the fold, the Las Vegas Raiders decided to sign a former Packer to replace the aforementioned Hobbs.
On Tuesday, the Raiders agreed to terms with CB Eric Stokes on a one-year, $4 million deal, per Ian Rapoport.
Stokes was a first-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 NFL Draft. After an impressive rookie season that saw him record 55 tackles and 14 pass deflections, things went downhill. The Georgia product then missed 22 games between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns due to a hamstring injury and a Lisfranc injury.
Green Bay declined to pick up his fifth-year option and let him ride it out for the 2024 season. Despite suiting up in all 17 games, Stokes finished with 41 total tackles but zero pass breakups and interceptions.
According to PFF, Stokes had a 61.3 overall grade (112th among 223 eligible corners) and a 62.4 coverage grade (94th among 223 eligible corners). He had a 96.7 passer rating in coverage and never seemed to bounce back from a stellar 2021 season.
The Packers let Stokes hit free agency and decided to bring in Hobbs instead. Now, one day after Green Bay added Hobbs, the Raiders signed the former Packer to their secondary.
Despite having the size (6-foot-1) and the speed teams look for, Stokes has struggled to find the ball and be consistent in coverage. Once the Packers didn't pick up his fifth-year option, it was telegraphed that the 2024 season was going to be his last one in a Packers uniform.
That came to fruition on Tuesday with Stokes heading to Las Vegas.