Green Bay Packers corner Eric Stokes found himself back where he belonged on Wednesday for the team’s third training camp practice: on the field and making plays.
The 2021 first-round pick intercepted not one but two passes while getting his hands on another for a pass breakup.
The Packers and Stokes hope he can return to his rookie form when he made plays with some regularity. In that first season, he had one interception and led the team with 14 pass breakups over 16 games, including 14 starts.
Unfortunately, injuries have been a big reason why Stokes hasn’t been nearly as productive since. In 2022, he started the first nine games but did not log a single interception or pass breakup before suffering a season-ending leg injury. In 2023, Stokes still had not fully recovered by the start of the season. He went on to appear in just three games, making six tackles, before going on injured reserve after suffering multiple hamstring injuries.
Now, Stokes feels like his old self again. And he’s playing like it, too.
For his first interception on Wednesday, he jumped a pass intended for Dontayvion Wicks. The second came on a deep ball to Christian Watson, which Stokes played perfectly.
“I had a great little day, I’ll say that,” Stokes said.
The 25-year-old corner tried not to overhype his big day too much, but he eventually admitted how much it meant after everything he had been through.
“There were a lot of days I remember just being out there, I mean not even being out there, just being on the sideline looking at everyone else ball,” he said. “So now, it feels great for me to do a little action and have fun.”
The team did not pick up Stokes’ fifth-year option this offseason, likely due to his injury history and the emergence of Carrington Valentine last season. Stokes is expected to compete with Valentine for the starting job through camp and has made a strong case for himself so far.
However, Stokes isn’t going to put too much pressure on himself in a contract year. His main goal for the season is to be out on the field as much as possible. From there, everything else will fall into place.
“Just be out there and do not miss a game. That’s my biggest thing,” said Stokes half-jokingly. “Just be out there, stay 100 percent healthy, and just let everything else flow. I know what I can do when I’m out there, and just being out there is the most important thing for me.”