Who Did Packers Take in 2021 Redraft? Not Eric Stokes

The Green Bay Packers used their first-round pick in 2021 on cornerback Eric Stokes, whose strong rookie season didn’t translate into sustained success.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick (17) catches a a touchdown pass in front of Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Grading an NFL Draft immediately after the draft, obviously, is ridiculous.

Grading a draft after just one year is a bit dangerous, too.

In 2021, the Green Bay Packers used their first-round pick on cornerback Eric Stokes. Forced into action with Jaire Alexander missing most of the season with a shoulder injury, he was sensational.

Among that year’s contingent of rookie cornerbacks, Stokes and Denver’s Patrick Surtain – the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year – led the league with 14 passes defensed. Among all rookie corners who were targeted at least 20 times, Stokes was No. 1 in completion percentage allowed (49.5) and yards per target (5.3) and No. 2 in passer rating allowed (71.3; Surtain, 61.3), according to Stathead.

“The rookie didn't just survive, he thrived. To the tune of a 79.1 passer rating allowed in coverage, per Pro Football Focus,” NFL.com said in ranking the draft classes after the 2021 season. “A rare mix of size (6-foot-1 with long arms) and speed (4.25 40 at Georgia's pro day), … the man’s natural traits are always in demand.”

Three years and zero pass breakups later, Stokes wasn’t in demand at all. The Packers had no interest in re-signing him, so he settled on a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Raiders in free agency.

With the 29th overall selection of a 2021 NFL Redraft by Pro Football Network, the Packers swapped Stokes for guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, the 14th pick by the New York Jets who “would form one of the league’s top interior offensive line duos with Elgton Jenkins.”

Vera-Tucker earned all-rookie honors as the Jets’ starting left guard in 2021. He missed most of 2022 with a torn triceps and most of 2023 with a torn Achilles. In 2024, he started 15 games at right guard. Pro Football Focus charged him with four sacks allowed but he was typically strong as a run blocker.

Vera-Tucker would fit the Packers’ quest for versatile linemen. Of his almost-3,000 NFL snaps, he’s played 1,249 at right guard, 1,027 at left guard, 279 at right tackle and 70 at left tackle. He started games at right guard, left tackle and right tackle in 2022.

Vera-Tucker will play for the Jets under the fifth-year option in 2025.

“His gift and curse is his versatility,” then-Jets coach Robert Saleh said in Spring 2024. He attributed Vera-Tucker’s injury problems to being moved around the line. “Our goal is to try to do everything we can to keep him healthy. Our goal is to keep him in one position and, as of now, it’s at right guard.”

If you want to stick with cornerback, Carolina’s Jaycee Horn went No. 30 to Buffalo in the redraft.

“He has struggled to stay healthy for the Panthers but made it to the Pro Bowl in 2024, finally staying on the field and looking the part of a true CB1,” PFN’s Jacob Infante wrote.

Also in 2021, the Packers selected receiver Amari Rodgers in the third round instead of the Texans’ Nico Collins and the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown went No. 6 overall and Collins went No. 15. Plus, the Packers selected center Josh Myers instead of All-Pro Creed Humphrey in the second round; Humphrey went No. 11 to the Bears instead of Justin Fields.