Packers: Looking back at the Eric Stokes draft selection
By Joseph Rowan
The first-round draft pick of Eric Stokes was a highly controversial selection from the Green Bay Packers.
While many positions were considered for the Packers’ draft class, a lot of fans and analysts assumed that they would select a wide receiver to help share receptions with superstar Davante Adams.
Going into the draft, it would seem like the Packers would focus on adding another talent for Aaron Rodgers to play with, but they made moves during the preseason that made up for their lack of wide receiver.
Randall Cobb was brought back to become a great slot choice and Allen Lazard has had a breakout season in 2021. While in previous years Marquez Valdes-Scantling has struggled with dropped passes, this season he has an elite catch percentage on the targets he has.
Now, it is not unknown that the Packers have had trouble with their first-round draft picks, especially recently, but the selection of Eric Stokes has paid off handsomely for the team.
Stokes has been a clear No. 2 cornerback for the team and has played as well as a corner can in their rookie season. Not to mention, acquiring Rasul Douglas from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad has led to the Packers having a dominant defense this season.
While Green Bay had a decent secondary last year, there was no clear cornerback #2 and Kevin King was a liability last season (especially in the NFC Championship game). Acquiring another elite cornerback to help Jaire Alexander was a great option and the one that the Packers went for. With Jaire being out because of injury, Stokes has stepped up and become a great shutdown corner for the defense, helping lead the Packers to a 13-3 record and a top-10 defense.
During his rookie campaign, Eric Stokes has allowed only 495 yards on 94 targets and even snagged an interception against future Hall-of-Famer Ben Roethlisberger. With Alexander looking to return before or during the playoffs, Stokes is looking to become a part of a trio of shutdown corners that may lead the Packers to the Super Bowl.