Stokes to Packers with 29th pick in 1st round
Eric Stokes blew a lot of people away when he turned in a 40-yard dash time of 4.25 during Georgia’s Pro Day last month.
Green Bay was obviously impressed.
The Packers selected the former Bulldog cornerback with 29th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night.
"I spent (the draft) with people that helped me get here," Stokes told Packers.com. “When Green Bay called me … I'm telling everybody to be quiet because they're all screaming and already excited.
"It was a surreal moment."
Stokes’ pro day accolades were not limited to his 40-time.
He also reportedly posted a broad jump of 11'-0", to go along with a vertical jump of 41 inches. Numbers like that helped move him into the first round. So too did his on-field performance.
A first-team All-SEC selection, Stokes topped the Bulldogs with four interceptions, to go along with 20 tackles. Two of his interceptions went for scores.
"Last year was only my fourth year playing corner," Stokes told the website. “The first couple years I was more so worried about technique and scheme. This past year, throughout the offseason, quarantine and all this stuff, I made sure I focused in on ball to just be way more comfortable with it.
"I just turned up into a whole 'nother person to where I know for a fact, outside, the wide receiver ain't gonna catch it."
He won’t be the last Bulldog taken in the three-day draft.
The most players from Georgia ever selected in the draft since moving to seven rounds is seven, set in 2002 and again in 2013.
Given a class including Azeez Ojulari, Tyson Campbell, Monty Rice, Ben Cleveland, Tre Hill, Tre’ McKitty, Richard LeCounte, DJ Daniel, Mark Webb, and Malik Herring, there’s a chance a new record could be set.
According to Pro Football Focus, Stokes posted a career overall grade of 90.5 with a career coverage grade of 90.1.
Opposing quarterbacks completed just 50 percent of their passes against him. He finished his Bulldog career with 21 pass breakups.
Stokes is the first Bulldog selection for the Packers since defensive end Jarius Wynn went in the seventh round in 2009. In fact, Stokes is the first Georgia player that the Packers have ever selected in the opening round. He becomes the 17th Bulldog selection for Green Bay since the Packers picked their first Bulldog (Pete Tinsley) in 1938.
He started 25 games and played in 36 games following a redshirt season in 2017. The 2020 AP First Team All-SEC member had a career-high four interceptions and 94 return yards in nine games last season and he was one of only four FBS players to return two of those picks for touchdowns. Stokes finished with 78 career tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble on a sack against Tennessee in 2019 that resulted in a Bulldog defensive touchdown.
