Packers 2021 Redraft: First-Round Pick Eric Stokes

It's always easy to make draft picks nine months after the fact. So, did the Green Bay Packers make the right call with Eric Stokes in the first round?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Hindsight is always 20/20, especially when it comes to the NFL Draft. A lot of things go into whether or not a draft pick was worth the investment. Was the scouting department’s projection correct? Was the player a good fit for the scheme? Was he given the proper coaching? How does he handle life as a professional?

With that as a backdrop, let’s revisit the Green Bay Packers’ 2021 draft class in a series of stories. Nine players were selected, led by first-round cornerback Eric Stokes with the 29th overall selection.

Before the Draft

The Packers had a few big needs, and cornerback was right at the top of the list. In free agency, general manager Brian Gutekunst re-signed veteran Kevin King and slot Chandon Sullivan, who had started alongside Jaire Alexander in 2020. To cap that season, the injury-prone King had a nightmarish performance in the NFC Championship Game, giving up two touchdowns and the killer interference penalty in the final moments. Gutekunst kept him for insurance, just in case there was a run of corners in the draft.

Turns out, he didn’t need the insurance. While Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley went at No. 22 to Tennessee and Northwestern’s Greg Newsome went at No. 26 to Cleveland, Gutekunst had his pick of two Georgia standouts: Stokes and Tyson Campbell as well as Florida State’s Asante Samuel. Also on the board at positions of need were defensive tackles Malik McDowell, Christian Barmore and Levi Onwuzurike, offensive linemen Teven Jenkins and Liam Eichenberg, and slot receiver Elijah Moore.

Packers Select Eric Stokes in First Round

Gutekunst went with Stokes, a player that scouts held some wildly differing opinions. Grabbing a cornerback was a wise move considering the miles-long injury history of King, the lack of any promising depth on the roster and the possibility of Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford standing in the way of a trip to the Super Bowl.

In all, 13 rookie cornerbacks played at least 200 coverage snaps this season. According to Pro Football Focus:

– Stokes ranked No. 1 with a completion rate of 51.0 percent. Patrick Surtain, who Denver chose at No. 9 instead of a quarterback to help fuel the Aaron Rodgers rumors that continue today, was the only other corner at less than 63 percent (57.6). In the Stokes-Campbell-Samuel conversation, Campbell was seventh (66.3 percent) and Samuel was eighth (67.9).

– Stokes ranked No. 1 with 12 forced incompletions. He was the only rookie cornerback in double digits. Campbell and Samuel were tied for second with nine. Stokes broke up 14 passes, Samuel had 11 and Campbell defended 10.

– Because he tackled so well, Stokes ranked No. 1 with 2.69 yards allowed after the catch per reception. Campbell allowed 4.13 and Samuel allowed 5.63. Stokes showed elite tackling ability throughout the Baltimore game.

– Stokes ranked No. 2 with 12.5 snaps per reception. Nate Hobbs, a fifth-round pick by the Raiders, was first with 11.4 snaps per reception. Samuel was eighth at 9.7 and Campbell was 11th at 9.1.

– Stokes ranked No. 2 with an opponent passer rating of 78.8. Surtain was first at 69.7. Campbell was eighth at 99.5 and Samuel was 11th at 101.0.

At the Time, I Would Have Picked …

Barmore, the playmaking big guy from Alabama.

The Verdict

Gutekunst knocked this one out of the park. Even if the Packers can’t re-sign surprise standout Rasul Douglas, they’ll go into next season with Jaire Alexander and Stokes as the top tandem. That should be a winning combination for years to come. If Stokes becomes more of a playmaker after finishing second in the NFL with four dropped interceptions, he and Alexander could become one of the best duos in the league.

Grading the Cornerbacks

Jaire Alexander ($3.83 million cap charge; ranking No. 37 among CBs)

Coming off an All-Pro season in 2020 that he capped with two interceptions of Tom Brady in the NFC Championship Game, expectations were high for the talented, charismatic and physical Alexander to somehow lift his game to another level. Voted a team captain, Alexander might have done it, too, if not for the shoulder injury he sustained while trying to tackle burly Steelers running back Najee Harris during the second half of their Week 4 game. He missed the rest of the regular season and returned to play eight snaps in the playoff game.

In four games, he allowed a 46.7 percent completion rate, according to SIS. That marked his third consecutive season of less than 50 percent and a four-year total of just 49.2 percent. He intercepted one pass, an incredible play at San Francisco in which he left his man and picked off a deep ball to tight end George Kittle. He did give up two touchdowns, which is as many as he yielded in 15 games in 2020.

The grade isn’t a reflection of Alexander’s performance but the fact he wasn’t on the field.

Grade: C-minus.

Eric Stokes ($2.17 million cap charge; ranking No. 59 among CBs)

A converted running back, Stokes was the team’s first-round pick despite lacking an abundance of experience at Georgia. Was he more than just pure speed? A project? Was he even the best Georgia cornerback in the draft? Stokes answered those questions affirmatively with a big-time rookie season. With Alexander and King out of action, a lot was asked and required of Stokes. He generally delivered with one interception and a team-leading 14 passes defensed.

Facing a bunch of top receivers, Stokes – perhaps because he spent most of training camp battling Davante Adams – never blinked. SIS charged him with a 46.2 percent completion rate and 5.3 yards per target, figures that ranked sixth and eighth, respectively, among starting corners. Of 91 corners with 50 percent playing time, Stokes finished fourth in completion percentage (51.0), 20th in snaps per completion (12.5) and 23rd in passer rating (78.8), according to Pro Football Focus. A penalty magnet at Georgia, he was guilty of only three. His four dropped interceptions were second-most in the league.

While he got roughed up at Minnesota in Week 11, he was superb down the stretch. According to PFF, he allowed 19-of-41 passing for 157 yards and one touchdown during the final six games of the regular season and the playoff game.

Grade: B-plus.

Kevin King ($1.93 million cap charge; ranking No. 67 among CBs)

GM Brian Gutekunst re-signed King to a one-year, $5 million contract in free agency last offseason. Had he known he would have gotten such a big-time rookie season from Stokes, he might not have bothered.

King played in 10 games with six starts. That, of course, means he missed seven games. In five seasons, he missed 30 of a possible 81 games due to the world’s longest list of injuries. After a breakout 2019 season in which he ranked among the league leaders with five interceptions and 15 passes defensed in 15 games, King had one interception and eight passes defensed in 21 games the last two seasons. SIS charged King with a 68.2 percent completion rate in 2021. PFF charged him with a 112.1 passer rating, worst on the unit. Eventually, defensive coordinator Joe Barry pegged Stokes, Rasul Douglas and Chandon Sullivan as his top trio, so King barely played down the stretch.

This has to be the end of King’s five-year tenure with the team, other than $750,000 cap charges through the 2025 season.

Grade: D.

Chandon Sullivan ($1.16 million cap charge; ranking No. 96 among CBs)

Sullivan played in all 17 games with 10 starts. The team’s primary slot defender last season, the team dabbled a bit with King this season before realizing Sullivan was the best bet in that role. He set his career high with three interceptions and added four passes defensed and two tackles for losses.

Sullivan is sort of like guard/center Lucas Patrick. It seems the front office will always be trying to replace him, but the coaches can’t keep him out of the lineup. According to PFF, 31 defensive backs played at least 170 snaps in the slot. In that group, he finished fourth in snaps per reception, third in snaps per target and 10th in yards per snap. SIS charged him with a 61.4 percent completion rate. He misses too many tackles, which leads to too many yards after the catch. It’s worth noting Sullivan, who is headed toward free agency, has played every game in his three seasons with the Packers.

Grade: B-minus.

Isaac Yiadom ($970,000; ranking No. 110 among CBs)

The Packers acquired Yiadom, a third-round pick in 2018, for Josh Jackson, a second-round pick in 2018, during training camp. With Alexander and King out with injuries, he started the Week 6 game at Chicago. His starting tenure with the Packers lasted exactly one series. He gave up a 20-yard completion to Allen Robinson and was penalized 26 yards for pass interference to give the Bears a first down at the 1. On the next series, Rasul Douglas replaced Yiadom and the Packers never looked back.

PFF charged him with 5-of-6 passing for 99 yards in the seven games in which he played defense. He contributed three tackles on special teams. With the return of Alexander, the Packers released him before the playoff game; he would have been a free agent, anyway.

Grade: F.

Shemar Jean-Charles ($720,038 cap charge; ranking No. 167 among CBs)

A fifth-round pick, Jean-Charles was a small-school standout who was nowhere near ready for life in the NFL. He played 37 snaps on defense and allowed 7-of-7 passing for 82 yards, according to PFF. Really, his only memorable play on defense came at Cincinnati, when Joe Mixon juked Jean-Charles onto his butt for a touchdown. His 231 snaps on special teams ranked sixth on the team. He finished fourth on the team with six tackles. The coaches can’t possibly believe Jean-Charles is ready to replace Sullivan in the slot.

Grade: D-minus.

Rasul Douglas ($661,111 cap charge; ranking No. 181 among CBs)

Remember A Christmas Story, when Ralphie turns in his essay on why he wants a Red Rider BB gun? He stands at the teacher’s desk and dreams of her giving him an “A-plus, plus, plus, plus ...” Well, that would have been Douglas’ grade.

The point of this series is to grade players on a salary cap curve. At 10 times the salary, Douglas would have been worth an A-plus. He was one of the great in-season moves any general manager has ever made. Imagine, getting a Pro Bowl player at a premium position from another team’s practice squad. Now, imagine that player was deemed not good enough to make the rosters in Las Vegas and Houston – two teams not exactly known for great defenses – during training camp. Douglas wasn’t just good. He was great. At any price.

Douglas saved the Packers’ victories over Arizona and Cleveland. Without those interceptions, Green Bay would have finished 11-6 instead of 13-4. He added pick-sixes at home against Los Angeles and Chicago; maybe the Packers would have lost to the Rams and finished 10-7. He was barely tested against San Francisco but broke up a pass that arguably should have been ruled a forced fumble.

Douglas tied for fourth in the NFL with five interceptions even though he played in only 12 games with nine starts. SIS charged him with a 45.3 percent completion rate and 5.3 yards per attempt. Among starting corners, those marks ranked fifth in the league. PFF had him ranked third in opponent passer rating (49.6). And if that’s not enough, he contributed four tackles on special teams.

With that, Douglas faces a fascinating free agency. Is he the journeyman corner who entered the league as a third-round pick in 2017? Or is he a premier ballhawk who had as many interceptions this season as his first four years combined?

Grade: A-plus.