One Packers Starter on ‘Hot Seat’

After a couple dismal seasons, Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes needs to turn his career around.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Chark makes a touchdown catch against Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes last season. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Can Eric Stokes stay healthy and return to his rookie-year form?

Those are the enormous questions surrounding Stokes, who was Pro Football Network’s choice as the Green Bay Packers player facing the most pressure entering the 2024 season.

A first-round pick in 2021, Stokes had a fabulous rookie season. Of 106 cornerbacks to play at least 250 coverage snaps, Stokes according to Pro Football Focus ranked:

- Fifth with a 51.0 percent catch rate allowed.

- Third with 18 forced incompletions.

- Tied for eighth with a forced-incompletion rate of 19 percent.

- 24th with a passer rating allowed of 78.8.

Among rookies, Stokes was first in catch rate and forced incompletions, and second in forced-incompletion rate and passer rating.

Thanks to Stokes, the Packers overcame the loss of All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander to finish 13-4 and earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Heading into the following season, the Packers appeared poised to have a no-fly-zone secondary with Stokes, a healthy Alexander and the veteran Rasul Douglas. Instead, Stokes’ career took a sharp right turn into a ditch.

In 2022, Stokes was one of 104 cornerbacks to play at least 250 coverage snaps. He ranked:

- Last with an 84.0 percent catch rate allowed.

- Tied for last with one forced incompletion.

- Tied for second-to-last with a forced-incompletion rate of 4 percent.

- 100th with a passer rating allowed of 125.8.

After allowing 21 completions in 25 targets in nine games, his 2022 season ended with a Lisfranc foot injury that required season-ending surgery.

Stokes’ career went from bad to worse in 2023. He opened the season on PUP due to the foot, then served two stints on injured reserve because of hamstring injuries. He played in three games and started his only two appearances on defense. Had he been one of the 109 cornerbacks who met the 250-snap threshold, Stokes would have ranked:

- 107th with an 80.0 percent catch rate allowed.

- Last with zero forced incompletions.

- Last with a forced-incompletion rate of 0 percent.

- Last (by a whopping 15 points) with a passer rating allowed of 152.9.

By the official league stats, Stokes had one interception and 14 passes defensed in 16 games (14 starts) in 2021. In 12 games (11 starts) in 2022 and 2023, he has zero interceptions and zero passes defensed. Yes, Stokes hasn’t broken up a pass since Christmas 2021.

The Packers, who didn’t make a significant addition at cornerback until selecting Kalen King with the fourth-to-last pick of the draft, need Stokes to rebound. He ran with the starters throughout the offseason.

“I think he’s as good as I’ve ever seen him, both mentally and on the field,” coach Matt LaFleur said during OTAs. “I want to temper the expectations with that, but I really mean that.

“He’s out there competing each and every day. He looks fully healthy. He’s doing a great job of challenging our wide receivers. I think you see that personality is back. He’s had a chance to really develop his body. He looks in great shape. I think the play says the same.”

Stokes needs to rebound, as well, as he enters his final season under contract. His football future depends on it.

With answers potentially found for his hamstring issues, his confidence and positivity have returned. Football, he said, is fun again.

“Of course it was hard, but that’s who I am, though,” he said during OTAs. “I been through so much. It is what it is. It’s going to be another thing coming. You could have your adversities, you could have every little thing, but it’s how are you going to deal with it the next day and all that stuff, because I know for a fact I’m blessed.

“At the end of the day, I know so many people that want to be in this locker room, that wish to be here, all that stuff, so it’s always easy to keep my head up because I know, at the end of the day, I’m always blessed.”

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