Where could Eric Stokes land after declaring for the draft?
Cornerback Eric Stokes is one of several Georgia Bulldogs who have declared for the 2021 NFL Draft, and he will almost certainly be one of the highest-drafted. In a class that is top-heavy at the CB position, Stokes is likely to be considered a top-five prospect at his position, given his frame and speed. Here are three teams that could use his services.
New York Jets
After winning two consecutive games for some reason, the Jets have now robbed themselves of Trevor Lawrence, the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. With the second overall pick, they now become the wild card at the top of the draft. Will they go with one of the other top quarterback prospects? Trade down and add more capital while giving Sam Darnold one more chance? The top 10 could get really weird, and New York would be responsible.
As a result of the Jamal Adams trade, the Jets own the Seattle Seahawks first-rounder, which is currently slated at 27th overall. This seems like it could be a good spot for Stokes, assuming Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley, and South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn are all off the board at this point, which is a pretty safe bet.
Finding Bryce Hall in the fifth round of last year’s draft was a nice value, but other than that, New York’s secondary is an extremely bare cupboard. Adding Stokes would inject some much-needed young talent into the defense, and provide the next defensive coaching staff with a potential building block.