Will the Eric Stokes of 2021 Please Stand Up?
After injuries took away his 2nd and 3rd seasons, Eric Stokes looks to return to his promising 2021 form.
By GregMeinholz
Guess who's back, back again? Okay, he never really left, but I couldn't resist starting with that classic Eminem line. Eric Stokes may have never left, but since a Lisfranc injury in week 9 of the 2022 season derailed year 2 of his NFL career, Stokes has only seen action in three of the possible 27 games since, including playoffs.
After being selected 29th overall in the 2021 Draft, the thoughts on Stokes were that he could become an excellent complement to Jaire Alexander at the Cornerback position. Alexander, however, ended up going down with an injury after only four games. This essentially thrust Eric Stokes into a starter position. Any rookie being thrown into a starter position that wasn't initially planned for them is never good. But Stokes shined in a way. He led the team in passes defended with 14, had one interception, and was 6th on the team in tackles in 2021. With Rasul Douglas' emergence in 2021 as well, I could not wait to see the Packers' corners in 2022 when Jaire Alexander returned.
But it wasn't to be. In the first nine games, Stokes wasn't quite sticking out as much as he had before. Many considered it a possible sophomore slump as he wasn't showing any major flaws in his game. Still, before he had the chance to turn it around, Stokes went down with a Lisfranc injury in Detroit, and alongside hamstring issues in 2023, Eric Stokes has only seen the field three times since. So, he hasn't had a chance to prove he's better than what he's shown in 2022. He also now has to carry around the dreaded label of being injury-prone.
Stokes and the Packers sought answers in the offseason of 2024 to his ailments, and have hopefully found solutions to bring him back to 2021 form.
A Career Reboot
Along with Wide Receiver Christian Watson who has been experiencing hamstring issues, the Packers sent Eric Stokes to specialists at Badger Athletic Performance at UW-Madison. Both players have received diagnoses since indicating that they need to strengthen their legs and feet in different areas to see improvement. In Stokes' case, tests and scans determined that his surgically repaired foot didn't have the necessary strength he needed at his level, and had been putting extra pressure on his hamstring and calf. After strengthening his foot, Stokes is feeling much better.
Matt LaFleur commented this past week that Stokes looks as good as he's ever seen, mentally and on the field. He's been showing off the speed that set him apart early in his career and is challenging receivers in practice. Teammate Jaire Alexander has also commented that seeing Eric Stokes return, and work hard with a positive attitude after all he's been through has put a smile on his face. All signs are pointing towards Eric Stokes breaking out a comeback season.
Eric Stokes also seems to be very excited to work with new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. "He puts you in a position to ball," Stokes told the media on Friday about Hafley. He continued, "he always says I'll go ahead and take the bullet, just go out there and have fun."
If there's one thing a Cornerback wants, it's to be unleashed to play the way that they want. Hafley wants his guys to not have to think too much, just play. But does that mean the Packers' defense will be overly simple and basic? Not necessarily. While some offenses and defenses are catered to the job being handled by anyone, some are catered to individual strengths. There are merits to both schemes, but when you have a team as packed with players possessing above-average athleticism as the Packers have, you may want to cater to those strengths.
If Eric Stokes sees an improvement in the nagging injuries that have plagued him the last two years, there is a chance we could see a return to 2021 form. Heading into 2024 at the corner position, everyone is talking about Jaire, Carrington Valentine, Keisean Nixon, even rookie draft pick, Kalen King is generating buzz. An Eric Stokes resurgence has flown under the radar quite a bit. Many had the Packers picking a Cornerback early in the 2024 draft, but they didn't choose one until the 7th round. This could be due in part to some confidence that Eric Stokes could have a resurgence.
I can't wait to see Eric Stokes' improvement in training camp and then into the 2024 season. Everyone loves a comeback story, so now it's time for Stokes to write his.
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Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings.
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Comments (47)
LambeauPlain
June 02, 2024 at 06:36 am
Eric "Big Red" Stokes is one veteran who could wear one of the greatest "from Zero to Hero" on field performance labels I have seen as a Packer Fan.
His sophomore campaign was sliding due to the Barry Ball zone scheme that was an ill fit for the man to man defender. Then the injuries.
Still a young man, his speed and man coverage alongside a new Safety group including his Bulldog Buddy "Bull" Bullard is going to be fun to watch! Big Red & Bull has a nice ring to it.
Could be 4 Bulldogs starting for the Packers D.
DoubleJ
June 02, 2024 at 08:18 am
"His sophomore campaign was sliding due to the Barry Ball zone scheme that was an ill fit for the man to man defender. Then the injuries."
Not just zone but off coverage zone using bail technique. If Barry had employed maybe press zone (press at LOS before getting in your zone) perhaps that would have been better for Stokes.
Oppy
June 02, 2024 at 10:20 am
Eric Stokes was drafted by the Packers on April 29th, 2021.
The Packers fired Mike Pettine on January 29th, 2021.
Stokes' promising 2021 season was had under the only NFL Defensive Coordinator he's ever played for, and that's Joe Barry.
Joe Barry has his fair share of blame to take for defensive woes, no question, but let's be fair and mindful of facts when we decide to lay that blame at Joe's feet. It seems questionable to blame Barry for Stokes' poor performance if Stokes played well under Barry in '21.
LambeauPlain
June 02, 2024 at 02:14 pm
Barry Ball in '21 was not the full Prevent (the win) D he employed in '22 and even more so '23 and finally sent him packing.
I blame Barry Ball for many talented Packer D players being mis-used during his 3 years of failure in Green Bay and 4 years of equal failures in Washington and Detroit.
Let's see how Stokes performs under coaching that maximizes his strengths for a change.
Oppy
June 02, 2024 at 07:41 pm
I think the real key here is simply seeing how Stokes performs when he's healthy and on the field for a change.
Coldworld
June 02, 2024 at 06:45 pm
Barry had indicated that he intended to and played tight coverage, particularly man. He did for Stokes’ first year allowing Stokes to do what he does well, compete at the point of the catch. Stokes was known not to be ideally physically suited to off coverage athletically and to not have much technique or experience playing zone and particularly off zone.. Barry decided to go to off coverages. Yes, I can and did at the time point out that that was dubious for Jaire but ludicrous for Stokes.
Bitternotsour
June 02, 2024 at 07:14 pm
I have to correct you here, it was LaFleur who insisted on off-coverages and not giving up "home runs". Barry was just the hired hand. That was the LaFleur defense.
LambeauPlain
June 03, 2024 at 09:07 am
A distinction without a difference. Barry ran the Packers D with the same futility seen in Detroit and Washington.
Matt wanted a D designed to play with a lead. After year 3, the HC finally understood the "play with a lead" stuff was not working and Barry was a mistake.
But I doubt ML told Barry "we want you to coach the Packers to be one of the worst run defenses in the NFL."
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:27 am
I'm a fan of Eric Stokes! His sheer speed has the potential to change games. I saw him on the field for the first time coming back from injury last TC; he was obviously being reined in to try to avoid re-injury but still, his stride and sheer movement betrayed the fact that he's the fastest man on the field in any situation. While he can't catch up to Tyreek Hill he CAN keep up, which very few can do.
I realize that none of that means he's a football player. His agility is excellent which helps a great deal, but actually making plays does require more. Hopefully this coaching staff gets him dialed in! Right now we've got little more than hope and speculation, but we do have a TON of talent on this team :)
Again I'll point out that if #25's hunger combines well with Josh Jacobs and spreads throughout the locker room, something this coaching staff is poised to foster, Stokes will benefit BIG TIME!!
#ConsiderMeStoked
AGNFB
GPG!!
Minniman
June 02, 2024 at 02:07 pm
Hopefully the change at Strength and Conditioning coordinator will also have an impact on the durability of many players - including Stokes.
As someone with a personal interest in training I've long raised an eyebrow at the collective injury history of the Packers. Removing impact related injuries from the equation, the Packers players of the last decade always seemed almost too prone to soft tissue injuries - especially the speed positions.
Guam
June 02, 2024 at 07:00 am
Stokes is one of the more interesting question marks for the 2024 season. I am hopeful that a defense better suited to his man skills as well as some resolution of his hamstring problems will result in the player the Packers hope they drafted a few years ago. He would be a welcome re-addition to the Packer D.
Oppy
June 02, 2024 at 10:23 am
Hamstring injuries are an issue and probably contributed to the knee/foot injuries (compensation injuries), but his foot injury was probably most significant. Packers haven't been entirely transparent about what exactly it was, but it sure sounds like it may have been a Lisfranc sprain/fracture which is notoriously difficult to recover from.
NickPerry
June 02, 2024 at 07:33 am
I for one am very happy to hear Stokes is back and looking good. The man has only appeared in 3 of the past 27 games, so you almost forget he was still on the Packers. At least I did. But now both Stokes and Watson are back and both are looking to regain that form we all saw in their rookies seasons. Great news for the offense
AND defense.
If Stokes can come back and actually stay on the field and look good again that's a HUGE boost. He's fast, long, and if he can just play as well as his rookie year and grow from there, this secondary could REALLY be one of the best. Jarie Alexander has removed his head from his ass, the Packers FINALLY have fixed the Safety position (I'm assuming on this one, don't care if I'm a ass) and now Stokes is back looking and feeling great. If he's able to stay on the field this defense is going to be even better!
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:31 am
It's looking like the league is going to FEAR having to come to Lambeau, even if we don't have anyone who hits like Ray Nitschke or frozen tundra.
I'm calling it : 14-3 and sweep the division.
GPG!!
Coldworld
June 02, 2024 at 07:44 am
When we picked Stokes my first thought and comment was well we’d better be going to play predominantly press coverage. It looks like we will be again after abandoning it the last 2 years. I’m excited to see Stokes on the field if indeed that is true.
Bearmeat
June 02, 2024 at 10:12 am
Good Lord, Barry was terrible, wasn't he.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:33 am
Indeed he was. MLF has a hard task to shake that mistake as his legacy, and every opportunity to become a GREAT HC.
NickPerry
June 02, 2024 at 10:16 am
Exactly CW... Hell, I'm excited to see both Alexander and Stokes playing press. What else is exciting is having an All-Pro safety to back them up. If Bullard is as good as I think he's going to be, that's going to be a hell of a safety tandem.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:34 am
Behind a 4-3 front that right now appears to be LOADED.
GPG :)
stockholder
June 02, 2024 at 08:03 am
The guy is a disgrace to his number.
Charles Woodson was great.
And No one has come close.
This guy is just another bust-
in Gute's "high" secondary picks.
He'll never be the best at anything.
Other than taking the money and run.
So don't get your hopes up..
" Never count on a guy who's prone to injury."
It's just that simple.
Coldworld
June 02, 2024 at 09:43 am
“The guy is a disgrace to his number.”
The disgrace is your comment, not Stokes.
Bearmeat
June 02, 2024 at 10:10 am
CW -
SH and his ilk are best left alone. Just ignore and scroll right on by their comments. He, and a few others, have been getting the Fredo treatment from me for years. It works. Eventually, if no one argues with him, he will move on to his next inane comment.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:35 am
Stockholder is nothing if not consistent.
stockholder
June 02, 2024 at 01:02 pm
So says The 3 blind mice.
You guys think every cloud has a silver lining.
Stokes is exactly why they retire numbers.
It's time to check Stokes off the list of good CBs.
Try to view Stokes from a different seat.
The bench!
Johnblood27
June 03, 2024 at 07:08 am
If Stokes can take the money and RUN, he should be fine as a press corner in this defense...
just sayin'
Bearmeat
June 02, 2024 at 10:12 am
I remember feeling similarly about Kevin King in 2020. All the tools, hasn't shown it after a promising, but not great, rookie year.
CB is the position that most scares me with this upcoming year. I understand 1265's gamble, and it very well could pay off. But you can make a fair case that Ja, Stokes, CV, Ballentine, and King are the weakest position group on the team. Until I see Stokes play well for a half year, I'm not buying it.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:50 am
I agree that Gutey took a gamble, in order to focus on THE WHOLE REST OF THE TEAM.
I love this draft, and also last year's. Of course it's too early to call anyone a bust or a "great pick" from either year, but several rookies turned in surprisingly good seasons last season and I think the new staff will only improve that ratio this year. I see absolutely no reason to doubt that "the Pack is back," the only question is if we're watching the start of a DYNASTY.
I'll point out that the other biggest weakness on the team is currently the kicker, and Carlson could still turn out to be GREAT for 15+ years barring injury. Gutey still has the option to sign someone with great promise from the UFL, or poach someone else from the NFL. I'm just glad he didn't use a draft choice on a kicker.
If this CB room proves to suck this season that leaves little chance of getting to the SB before the 2025 draft; I consider that an acceptable risk.
I say our O line is vastly more important this season, and I consider that much improved. Gutey made his priorities, and I think he chose well :)
Andy Herman put out a vid I don't find on CHTV in which he speculates that our O line could be Walker and Tom at T, Morgan and Jenkins at G, with Myers at C. I add that Monk as depth at C is a substantial improvement. This iteration is only one possibility of many, but it strikes me as a formidable lineup :)
Bearmeat
June 02, 2024 at 01:20 pm
I don't disagree with you. I think it was the right thing to do. You have a young stud QB, you have to protect him. Morgan (or another OL) was the right pick at 25, and I'm certainly not going to complain about rounds 2 and 3 - other than Hopper. And Gute always punts on a 3rd rounder lol.
You can't "fix" everything, and like I said, there is a reasonable world that CB is more than fine in 2024. Which I'd say is more than you can say about the OL depth without Morgan.
There are still some vet options out there at CB, but those options should also be available late in camp and maybe early season too if/when an injury happens. It's a risk worth taking. But it is a risk...
Coldworld
June 02, 2024 at 06:59 pm
Watch Robert Rochell this summer. I’m hearing they like him (another Gute in season pick up). A raw, uber athletic, small school fourth rounder with good wingspan too. Runs a 4.39 and has elite broad jump too. He played well when forced to as a rookie, got hurt and got lost in the wash of new additions on return to health. Gute snagged him off a PS. He profiles well to tight/man coverages too. Just turned 26 last month.
ricky
June 02, 2024 at 10:51 am
I really hate sounding cynical, but Stokes is scheduled to be a free agent after this year, since the Packers declined his fifth year option. All too often a player will have an excellent year, get a new contract, and then regress the next season. I'd be for it, as long as it was a "team friendly" contract, where the team could cut him without a large salary cap penalty. But as always, this would be "caveat emptor" ("let the buyer beware").
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:51 am
I'd like to see situations like this giving the player little in guaranteed money with the chance to earn big money per achievement on the field.
splitpea1
June 02, 2024 at 11:04 am
Even if Stokes is physically fine, you still want to see improvement in his technique and tracking the ball in the air so he's not exclusively reliant on his athletic gifts to be successful.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:53 am
Completely true, which is only one of the myriad reason who I'm (ahem) STOKED about our new coaching staff!!
GPG!!
PhantomII
June 02, 2024 at 11:08 am
All I really have to say is what an absolutely poor communication process between Doctors/ Surgeons and rehab specialists and Packers team strength and conditioning unit to injured players to not have known that professional athletes needs in rehabbing from injury, what tests needed to be performed to get our players back to proper health to play at an extremely high level. Hopefully this information will instill a NEEDED CHANGE in GB rehab process in a common sense manner and even re-learn their jobs to a higher degree if need be to protect the players and the organizations ability to limit further financial obligations and promote players long term health. GPG
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2024 at 11:55 am
GB is notoriously excellent in this exact area.
Football players hit people for a living, repeatedly and at all sorts of angles. Injuries are part of the sport.
DragonSilk
June 02, 2024 at 11:56 am
I'm really pulling for Stokes. I love to see his detractors go out and play football with the injuries he's had. He's shown he's got the talent he just needs to stay healthy. He wouldn't be the first Packer to look like he'd never be able to contribute because of injuries to come back and play some great ball. Think James Starks.
Johnblood27
June 03, 2024 at 07:13 am
Starks best (and only) great play was in his rookie season.
NFLfan
June 02, 2024 at 12:27 pm
I like Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon and Corey Ballentine but individually and collectively, they do not compare with top-ranked CB's.
Nixon has heart but doesn't have the necessary speed, overly relying on Stokes will be risky and Ballentine is average.
Green Bay needs authentic reinforcements in an important room.
HawkPacker
June 02, 2024 at 01:06 pm
I hear ya NFL but Gute apparently does not based on this draft.
Therefore, I will defer to Gute as he knows the CB current status much better than any of us do.
NFLfan
June 02, 2024 at 02:22 pm
@HP-Opposing teams will avoid Jaire and focus on Stokes. He will be under continual pressure. He just does not have the successful body of work under his belt to assuage my concerns. He compares to our late, great QB, IMO, re: likely injury recurrence-lol.
Gute has a 50-50 record with me. And, he tends to hold on to his failing picks. I'm fine with seeing what Stokes has left but I'd like to see plan B-(not Ballentine nor Valentine) They are ok for a few games but are not replacements.
NickPerry
June 02, 2024 at 07:58 pm
You forgot about Valentine. I thought he played decently last season for a 7th round rookie. I'll be curious if Nixon is the starting slot or if Bullard is playing there more. This team just got SO fricking athletic in the middle of their defense.
cdoemel
June 02, 2024 at 03:39 pm
If there’s one thing that history has born out in the NFL it’s that players coming back from major injury don’t get back to form immediately, and it often takes a full season and the ensuing off season to train instead of rehab. That would have been ‘23 for Stokes, but because of the hamstring issues he hardly played. I look for Stokes to ramp up to the 2nd half of ‘24, much like a lot on the team did last year. But there will be people calling him a bust before they leave São Paulo if he’s not the MVP of the game. The bye week is nicely placed and I hope we come out of it on 🔥 because weeks 12-14 will be a challenge.
GregC
June 02, 2024 at 04:33 pm
Agreed. I expected nothing from Stokes last year, and that's what we got. This article doesn't even mention that it wasn't just the lisfranc injury in 2022, it was also a torn meniscus in his knee. He had surgeries for both injuries, and rehab involved a plate and two screws inserted in his foot. He then spent time in a wheelchair.
This year should be different. It sounds like he has his speed back. He just needs to stay healthy, and let's hope he gets his confidence back.
cdoemel
June 02, 2024 at 06:42 pm
👍
cdoemel
June 02, 2024 at 06:48 pm
The articles here don’t mention a lot of things, all while butchering the English language. But I’m here so … might as well join the crowd and find something to complain about!
GregC
June 02, 2024 at 07:46 pm
Yeah, it's been a little rough lately. I thought this sentence was rather odd: "While some offenses and defenses are catered to the job being handled by anyone, some are catered to individual strengths."
I don't recall ever seeing the word "catered" used that way. Maybe it's a technically correct use of the word, but probably not, and it's definitely a clunky sentence.
Johnblood27
June 03, 2024 at 07:17 am
Yikes, the lull period certainly brings out the worst in all of us...
How about the new women's professional hockey league? We could discuss that!