Not only did the Green Bay Packers need to try and upgrade the cornerback position for the 2021 season, but they needed to add to this room as well for future years, given the number of unknowns surrounding this unit.
As the draft approached, Stokes seemed to fly a bit under the radar, but he was a very Green Bay Packers-esque first-round selection.
He was a very solid and steady player during those two seasons, allowing a combined completion percentage of 56.9 percent on 93 targets and at 9.45 yards per catch.
If you go back and watch Stokes play, it’s clear that the game plan for most of Georgia’s opponents was to stay away from his side of the field–and he did all of this against some elite SEC wide receiver talent.
Alexander still saw a good amount of playing time during the first four games of his rookie season, but it wasn’t until Week 7 when he returned from injury, that he was on the field for 100 percent of Green Bay’s defensive snaps–perhaps Stokes takes a similar path.
He can mirror from a press position, but he can afford to clean up his technique—particularly his eye discipline in man coverage and getting “grabby” at the top of the route.
Stokes played with better press technique in 2020 and he’s willing to get physical near the goal line, but his play strength is below average.
“Positives: Underrated cornerback with the size and play speed to start in the NFL.
Analysis: Stokes possesses terrific measurables and has shown developing ball skills.
He’s no stranger to college football’s lack of an illegal contact penalty, though, and does a lot of his dirty work via contacting receivers.