Green Bay Packers make high upside play in Eric Stokes selection

The Green Bay Packers were in the news today with the surprising news that reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers wants out.  Unfortunately, the bad news just keeps coming today for the Packers today as they reach here with their first-round selection, as they’ve selected Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes.

Coming into the draft, cornerback was a big need for the Packers. While they have one of the best corners in the league in Jaire Alexander, they lack depth at the position.  The reason this was a bit of a questionable pick is because Green Bay could have possibly gotten him later in the draft.

There is plenty to like about Stokes, however, primarily his athleticism. Eric Stokes is arguably one of the best athletes in the entire draft.  At his Pro Day, he posted an absolutely blazing 40-yard dash time of 4.25, a 38.5-inch vertical leap, and a 10-foot-8 inch broad jump.

He managed to pick off four passes and return two of them touchdowns in just nine games last year. Over his whole three year career at Georgia he recorded 22 passes defended over 31 total games.

So, there’s absolutely no question that Stokes has the potential to develop into a good corner, it’s mainly a question as to whether they can develop him and how long it’ll take to develop him.

The main question is how NFL-ready Stokes is, which wouldn’t be as big of an issue for a team not expected to contend, but the Packers are certainly looking to win now, so it’s a bit of an interesting choice to go with more of a project here.

Another question that arises about this pick is whether they should have drafted an offensive player to help convince Aaron Rodgers into changing his mind into coming back to the Green Bay Packers.

Nevertheless, the whole point of the draft is to build for the future and although Stokes may be a bit of a reach, he’s still got a lot of potential and he plays a valuable position that was a big need for the Packers.