Getty Rashod Bateman #13 of the Minnesota Gophers looks on before the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at TCF Bank Stadium on October 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Green Bay Packers addressed one of their biggest positional needs when they took cornerback Eric Stokes at No. 29 overall in last month’s 2021 NFL draft, but could a wide receiver have been the initial target for their first-round pick?
Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz — who is a “good friend” of Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst — told reporters Monday he believes Green Bay originally wanted to select former Minnesota wideout Rashod Bateman with the 29th pick, which is partially what motivated the Ravens to take him with the 27th pick.
The Ravens had also owned the 31st pick and could have tried waiting on Bateman to take defensive end Odafe Oweh, but Hortiz said his interactions with Gutekunst at Bateman’s pro day workout left him with an impression that was hard to shake.
“Certainly, we knew (the Packers) liked him and a lot of teams like Rashod,” Hortiz told reporters on a Zoom call on Monday. “We don’t know for certain, but you do try to pay attention to, ‘OK, the GMs were at this pro day’ — especially this year because the GMs weren’t able to get out and see players. Brian is going to look at players that he was interested in.”
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Bateman Could Have Immediate Impact
Rarely does a first-round wide receiver make it through his rookie season without making his presence known, and the expectations are Bateman will be no different with the Ravens. He caught 147 passes for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns over his three seasons in Minneapolis and clocked an impressive 4.40 in the 40-yard dash during his pro day, giving him the potential to be a dynamic new weapon for Lamar Jackson.
Likewise, it is pretty easy to see why Gutekunst and the Packers may have also been interested in Bateman. None of the receivers returning from Green Bay’s 2020 roster are under contract past the upcoming season, including Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Spending a first-round pick on a wide receiver may have also helped the Packers smooth things over with franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers; though, it is hard to determine if anything can resolve those problems at this point.
At the same time, it isn’t like the Packers avoided the position the way they had in the previous two drafts. After taking Stokes in the first round and ex-Ohio State center Josh Myers in the second, Gutekunst traded away a fourth-round pick to move up and grab Clemson standout Amari Rodgers at No. 85 overall in the third round.
Rodgers was a favorite target of Trevor Lawrence last season with the Tigers, hauling in 77 passes for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns. He was also a regular asset on special teams as a punt returner.
Will Stokes Play Big Role in 2021?
While the Packers’ precise draft plan will likely never come to light, there’s no doubt Gutekunst thinks highly of Stokes, the player they actually ended up getting at No. 29. He highlighted the young cornerback’s explosiveness and strength when talking about him the night he was selected on April 29, even suggesting he would see playing time in his first season despite a veteran-packed room.
“I do think Eric is a pretty quick study, and I think he’ll get in that mix somehow someway this season,” Gutekunst said of Stokes. “He’s kind of a rare talent athlete. Once he masters the mental part of our defense, I think he’ll be able to contribute.”
The next couple of months will be important in determining how quickly Stokes sees playing time. The Packers return all three of their starting cornerbacks — Jaire Alexander, Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan — from last season, but Alexander is the only one of the entire group who has maintained a consistent presence for Green Bay’s secondary. If Stokes can deliver early on his first-round potential and impress new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, he could quickly earn a regular role.