The Green Bay Packers selected Eric Stokes with the 29th-overall pick in the 2021 draft. Stokes was a key piece of a smothering University of Georgia defense that dominated the SEC from 2018 to 2020. But since he arrived in Green Bay, his injuries and subpar performances have hampered his career. Stokes has one more year left on his rookie contract and needs to prove his value to the Packers in 2024.
The University of Georgia recruited Stokes as a three-star prospect. After three years, he left as one of their top defensive players. During his last two years with the Bulldogs, Stokes started every game. In his final year in college, he finished with 20 total stops, including four pass breakups and four interceptions in only nine games. The only touchdown that he surrendered that year was to DeVonta Smith.
Entering the draft, Stokes was viewed as a speedy, physical defensive back who could keep up with college football’s fastest receivers. However, his overall performance has declined since he joined Green Bay.
Stokes had a promising rookie year with the Packers in 2021. According to Pro Football Focus, 13 rookie cornerbacks played at least 200 snaps during the 2021 season. Of those 13 corners, Stokes ranked first in completion percentage, allowing only 51% of balls thrown his way to be completed.
He also ranked first in the group with 14 passes knocked away and first in yards gained after completion with just 2.69 per catch, highlighting his tackling ability in the open field. Stokes also ranked second-overall in snaps per reception, allowing one catch every 12.5 snaps. He finished second in opposing quarterback ratings with an average opponent passer rating of 78.8. Stokes played 16 of Green Bay’s 17 games in 2021, gained 43 solo tackles, and forced one interception.
Stokes also improved his production in his rookie year because Jaire Alexander missed 13 games in 2021 with a shoulder injury. He and Rasul Douglas were Green Bay’s top two corners for most of the season. Together, they picked up the slack in Alexander’s absence.
Not long after Alexander got healthy, Stokes dealt with injury issues. He missed nine games in 2022 due to separate knee and foot issues. In 2023, he spent most of the season on IR due to a bad hamstring. Stokes only played in three games last year and 12 over the last two years. During those 12 games, he amassed 26 solo tackles and one tackle for loss.
That makes this upcoming season a prove-it year for Stokes, considering he is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract.
The first thing Stokes needs to do to establish himself next year is stay healthy. He wasn’t the only player who missed several games due to a bad hamstring. Aaron Jones missed six games last year with a similar injury, and Christian Watson missed eight games for the same reason. In response, the Packers have made a concerted effort to prevent hamstring issues.
Stokes plans to see a hamstring specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to avoid re-aggravating his injury. If he can stay healthy for the entire season, Stokes should get enough playing time to prove himself as a player worth keeping around. He has the speed to match up with any receiver, so he can keep tight coverage when playing on or off the line of scrimmage.
If he’s playing on the line, Stokes has the speed to keep up with a receiver on the break of his route. If he’s off, he has enough time to get right on the receiver if the route breaks underneath his coverage. Stokes ranks first in yards gained after completion because he has the motor to stay on his man.
But Stokes needs to improve his ball-attacking skills. In Green Bay’s 33-30 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, D.J. Chark Jr. caught two touchdowns with Stokes covering him.
If he can play the ball better, he can interrupt many more passes because he doesn’t allow his guys to get open often.
Stokes played well in the one complete season that he was able to put together. But he must stay healthy throughout the season to get the opportunities to make plays. If Stokes can do that and attack the football at its high point, he can remain part of the Packers’ long-term plans. But if Stokes continues to battle injuries and gives up big plays to receivers when he is in good position, his time in Green Bay will come to an end.
