Eric Stokes caught the eye in a big way last week at the House of Athlete combine, delivering a performance that suggested he could have broken records had this year’s NFL event in Indianapolis been hosted as normal. With the NFL Draft on the horizon, he certainly turned some heads.
Stokes set the track alight with a blazing 40-yard dash time of 4.25 seconds, only 0.3 seconds slower than John Ross’ combine record.
While a prospect’s stock should not hinge massively on the results of Combine workouts and pro days, Stokes’ display in the combine validates what is obvious on tape, that he is a cornerback with top-level speed that will likely greatly help him to adapt to starting at the next level.
Looking at Eric Stokes’ NFL Draft stock
As a prospect that appears likely to go late in the first round or early in the second, teams will be looking for Stokes to start early in his career, and that will require him landing in a system that best suits his strengths.
With his speed allowing him to stay in excellent downfield coverage and recover when he does surrender a step, Stokes can play may coverage extremely well. However, he is also a corner who relies on his instincts when reading the eyes of the quarterback to get to the right spot, making him a superb fit for teams that rely heavily on zone coverage.
There are plenty of teams that do so in 2021 and here we look at three who project as great fits for Stokes and who are likely to have an interest in one of the most intriguing cornerback prospects in the class.