When considering the potential this Green Bay Packers defense has had for the past few years, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is that it’s a unit almost entirely composed of first-round picks. With the exception of when they selected Jordan Love in 2020, they’ve added a first-rounder to their defense every year since 2011. In 2019, they added two: Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage. They’re also developing a Georgia duo from last year’s draft, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt. Caught in this mix is the 29th-overall pick in 2021, cornerback Eric Stokes — another core piece of a Georgia championship team from.
Stokes showed potential as a rookie after the Packers immediately thrust him into a starting role opposite Jaire Alexander. His blazing 4.25 40-yard dash time anchored him, ensuring nobody could get an ungodly amount of separation. Many believed he was primed for a huge leap ahead of his sophomore season; however, the team decided to extend breakout corner Rasul Douglas to a three-year deal. Douglas memorably stole the spotlight with a victory-sealing interception off Kyler Murray in his first game with the Packers, and he never gave it back. While Alexander worked to return to the field, Douglas was holding down the fort from the minute Green Bay signed him off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad.
The crowding of Green Bay’s secondary forced them to push someone into the slot, and they gave Douglas that assignment. In the early part of last season, he didn’t much resemble the guy who was dominant every week the year before. Stokes also struggled to progress. Then, in the first game of November, Stokes went down with a gnarly Lisfranc injury that led to surgery on both his knee and foot. It was a disappointing turn amidst a disappointing season, but what followed provided much-needed data as the Packers prepare to re-litigate their cornerback situation.
Douglas moved back outside to fill the void Stokes left. The effect was significant. He looked like the guy who’d forced Brian Gutekunst to fork over $21 million even when he already had two high-quality starting corners. There are three options for 2023: put Douglas back in the slot, move him to safety, or try Stokes in the slot.
As it stands, safety is probably the weakest position on the roster. Darnell Savage has the athletic profile of a star, but he has rarely played like it. Now the Packers are asking him to prove himself by playing on the fifth-year option. They only brought in Anthony Johnson Jr, a seventh-round rookie, to provide depth. If Douglas moves to safety full-time or in a select set of packages, that likely pushes Savage off the field and opens the slot for Keisean Nixon, who is eager to do more after finishing as an All-Pro kick returner in 2022. It’s an appealing possibility with the way that Savage and Rudy Ford took turns getting benched as Green Bay was desperately trying to string together wins.
The way I see it, Douglas should play his position – outside cornerback. The Packers are paying Alexander a king’s ransom to be anywhere the opposition’s best receiver lines up. They’re paying Douglas a solid salary to do his job, and be the guy he was in 2021. Stokes is a good matchup against the speedy slots who most teams tend to trot out. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a perfect example of a guy Stokes matches up well against. In the rest of the division, he’d face guys like K.J. Osborn and Darnell Mooney.
All of this is contingent on Stokes returning to the field and maintaining his speed despite multiple lower-body surgeries. When healthy, he, Douglas, and Alexander should all be on the field at the same time. They’re crucial to the team’s future and to the defense-centric identity that appears to be forming ahead of 2023.
Relative to expectations, not much has worked for Joe Barry’s defense. Douglas on the outside opposite Alexander has been one of those things. Rashan Gary’s return is massive, as is the addition of Lukas Van Ness to the rotation. Walker is primed for a breakout season, and he brings much-needed physicality to the unit. Perhaps Wyatt shows why he was a first-round pick just a year ago, too.
This Packers defense is running out of excuses. With Rodgers gone, there’s likely nothing to bail them out either. It’s now or never, and heads could start rolling next offseason. Perhaps a different approach to cornerback assignments could make the difference.
