Today we are analyzing Eric Stokes, Georgia’s 6’1″ 185 lb. cornerback who was named First-Team All-SEC in 2020.
Strengths: Stokes is the perfect height/weight/speed prospect. He has great size and length, along with fantastic speed that clocked out at 4.25 seconds in the 40 yard dash at his pro day. He almost never gets beat deep as a result, since he has elite recovery speed if he does allow a step or two of separation earlier in a route. Stokes’s fluidity is good too, allowing for a smooth transition out of his backpedal. These athletic traits allow him to excel in man coverage, with an ability to turn and run with any receiver. Stokes does a good job of being physical throughout the route without drawing penalties. He is also a willing run defender and a reliable tackler. In 2020, Stokes showed an improved ability to make plays on the ball in 2020, notching four interceptions along with returns that displayed his athletic ability.
Weaknesses: Stokes seems to play routes too safely, anticipating a deep route too often. This is odd, since he has elite recovery speed and could afford not to do so. As a result, he allows some short completions unnecessarily since he is not tight enough in coverage over the first 5-10 yards. On the same token, receivers also see success on comeback routes against him. In press coverage, Stokes needs to coordinate his hands and feet more consistently. Sometimes he will attack with his hands and leave his feet stuck into the ground, subsequently starting his transition a tick late.
Bottom Line: I struggle to understand why Stokes isn’t widely seen as a first round prospect. He has terrific size, quickness, and speed to mirror in man coverage, which is the biggest overarching factor in predicting cornerback success in the NFL. He needs to clean up a few things such as how he plays the first 5-10 yards of routes, but Stokes has all the makings of a quality starting cornerback.
Draft Projection: Late first round, early second round
Grade: 1.8 (indicative of a late first round grade)
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