NFL Draft: Eric Stokes gives stock a boost with eye-popping 40 time
By Cory Kinnan
The 2021 NFL Draft is officially under two months away, and mock combines are filling in for the real thing as it was cancelled, and pro days are coming out in full force. Some training facilities like EXOS and now House of Athletes are holding their own mock combines, and Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes took full advantage of the opportunity.
At the House of Athletes mock combine, Stokes turned all eyes onto him as he blazed his way to an impress 4.25 second 20 yard dash, just .03 seconds off of John Ross’ combine record. This was the fastest time on the day and may be perhaps the fastest time we see in this process (look out for Auburn’s Anthony Schwartz, however).
Using the exact same lasers that the NFL employs at the combine on normal occasions, there is no real reason to question whether or not Stokes’ time was legit or not. Take a look here:
https://twitter.com/GridironDrives/status/1367905519634112533?s=20
What does Eric Stokes bring to NFL level?
Without his 40 yard dash time, Stokes was already considered a fringe first round prospect, and with how crowded the cornerback class is outside of the top-three guys in Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, and Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, Stokes may have just separated himself a bit to be that sixth name off the board.
He and his teammate Tyson Campbell are expected to land in around the same range, with Campbell’s stock being a little more volatile due to his lack of ball skills. Stokes, however, brings excellent ball skills to the table, picking off an extraordinary four passes this season for the Bulldogs (and returning two of them for touchdowns).
It should have been common knowledge before his 40 time that Stokes was a big-time athlete, as he shows it on the field, but he did nothing more than confirm it. He has fluid hips, changes directions well, and works in man coverage off the line of scrimmage at a high level as well. Stokes has the makings of a first round prospect as the main event rolls around at the end of April.
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Teams who could be a fit at the back end of the first round are the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars (picking for the Los Angeles Rams), the New York Jets (picking for the Seattle Seahawks), and the Cleveland Browns. The Jets and Jaguars will come on the clock at the beginning of round two as well, giving Stokes a significantly high floor in the NFL Draft.