Finding Broncos: Scouting Georgia CB Eric Stokes

Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes, a prospect the Denver Broncos might have some interest in due to his scheme fit.

Measurables

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 185 pounds

Stats

Pros

Some of the best vision of all the CBs in this class
One of the more scheme-versatile players
Really good ball skills
Has toughness to hang in there no matter how physical a WR is
Doesn’t give up on routes and almost always attacks the catch point
Length is good enough for NFL and he has good flexibility
Snakes around WRs to attack the catch point
Will bring it as a run defender and as a tackler
High football IQ
Knows how to pass off WRs in zone coverages and read WRs when mirroring in man coverage
Click and close is solid
Hips loose enough to be fluid to come down as an attacker

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our FREE newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Cons

Versatile traits, but not the best of athlete
Has a bad habit of getting very handsy, especially on deeper routes
Probably limited to a boundary-only CB because athleticism isn’t there to handle nickel duties
Can go overboard with his physicality both in coverage and as a run defender
Aggressiveness could open him up to flags beyond the grabby hands
Ball skills were much improved this past season but were rough previously
Can be over-aggressive when jumping routes and leave himself open to get beat over the top

Overview

Stokes is a scheme-versatile cornerback who projects to the boundary only, with the traits to work either side. There is some cornerback-one potential, but he might be best suited as the No. 2 spot opposite to take advantage of added opportunities.

Fit With Broncos

The concern with Stokes' overaggressiveness probably will lead to teams giving him consistent help over the top and shade safeties his way. The physicality he brings and his solid technical base is going to really appeal to a coach like Vic Fangio.

Grade: Round 1

Where he Goes: Round 1

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!

Add us as a preferred source on Google