GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Las Vegas Raiders and cornerback Eric Stokes reached a one-year contract agreement on Tuesday, marking a swap of cornerbacks in NFL free agency. This follows the Green Bay Packers’ agreement with cornerback Nate Hobbs on a four-year deal just a day earlier.
Stokes is the second defensive player to exit Green Bay, with defensive tackle TJ Slaton having signed a two-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. Stokes, a first-round draft choice in 2021, spent four years with the Packers, transitioning from a promising start to a reserve role. During his rookie season, Stokes stepped up in Jaire Alexander’s absence, playing 16 games with 14 starts.
He recorded one interception and led the Packers with 14 pass defenses. Among rookie defenders, Stokes stood out, tying with Patrick Surtain – the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 – for the most passes defensed. He had the lowest completion percentage allowed (49.5) and yards per target (5.3), and ranked second in passer rating allowed (71.3), according to Stathead.
However, 2022 proved challenging; in nine games, Stokes allowed 20 completions on 25 targets, with an 80 percent completion rate, the second-worst among cornerbacks. He had no interceptions or pass breakups before a foot injury at Detroit. The Lisfranc fracture not only ended his season but also interrupted his career trajectory. Recurring foot and hamstring injuries limited him to three games in 2023, equaling his starts with his stints on injured lists.
He participated defensively in two games, allowing six of eight passes and three touchdowns. After working with a specialist in Madison, Stokes overcame his hamstring issues. In 2024, he played all 17 games, starting seven. He began the season with five consecutive starts, displaying solid coverage.
Post-Week 10 bye, up to the Week 17 loss to the Vikings, Stokes led NFL corners in receptions allowed, total yards allowed, yards per coverage snap, and was second in coverage snaps per completion and third in completion percentage, according to Pro Football Focus. “I think he’s shown improvement,” remarked defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley before the Week 18 matchup against the Bears.
“He’s been competitive in the run game and physical. He challenged quality wide receivers in the last game. The more reps he gets, the more comfortable he becomes.” Nonetheless, the Packers entered January with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as their main cornerbacks, with Javon Bullard in the slot. Stokes participated in just five defensive snaps against the Bears and only one snap in the wild-card defeat to the Eagles.
