Green Bay Packers 2021 draft shows team doesn’t dwell on past mistakes

The Green Bay Packers have struck out on several high draft picks in recent years, but here’s drafting Eric Stokes shows why they aren’t concerned with past mistakes. 

Like all businesses, there can be a lot of pride involved in NFL front offices. Jobs and reputation are on the line, and they often aren’t willing to admit when they have made a mistake.

Every team is guilty of making poor NFL Draft selections, yet sticking with them far longer than they should because of where they were drafted. As a Steelers fan, I can attest to this. Despite knowing that Artie Burns and Jarvis Jones were not good football players and needed to be upgraded, Pittsburgh essentially rode them out through their rookie contracts in an effort to save face.

Instead of falling into this prideful trap, NFL management needs to be better about acknowledging when they have messed up. I give Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur and his staff a lot of credit with this.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t amazed at the number of high draft choices they have been willing to spend on their defensive backs in recent years. Since 2014, the Packers have spent 4 first-round picks and 3 second-round picks on cornerbacks or safeties – the most draft capital in the league on defensive backs over this span.

Though they have struck out on a few of these players, the Packers aggressiveness to improve their secondary has also paid off. Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage might be the best safety tandem in the league, while Jaire Alexander graded out as the best cornerback in the NFL in 2020, according to Pro Football Focus.

Why did the Green Bay Packers take CB Eric Stokes in 2021?

However, the Green Bay Packers didn’t stop there. Since 2017, the Packers have swung and missed on big, athletic cornerbacks in Kevin King and Josh Jackson. Though they were both former second-round draft choices, King and Jackson have graded out among the worst cornerbacks in the league since entering the NFL.

Most teams would shy away from giving it another try, as they have already invested so much capital into the position, but kudos to the Packers for trying to find the cornerback who will play opposite of Alexander in 2021 and beyond. Green Bay could have just bit the bullet and signed a mid-level free agent to fill the void, but this is a team that isn’t dwelling on their past mistakes.

With the 29th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Georgia cornerback, Eric Stokes. Stokes fits the mold of what the Packers are trying to do in their secondary with his terrific speed and ability to play in man coverage. While many viewed this pick as a bit of a reach, the Packers know what type of impact one more great cornerback could have on their secondary, as this could quickly become the best back end (and maybe even the best defense) in the NFL).

In today’s passing league, I give the Packers a lot of credit for recognizing that they need to do everything in their power to slow down opposing quarterbacks. There aren’t many teams that would be so diligent to correct the mistakes of the past and admit that they were wrong.