Getty The Green Bay Packers celebrate after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the game at Levi's Stadium on September 26, 2021 in Santa Clara, California.
The Green Bay Packers could find themselves dangerously thin at cornerback in Week 5 with Jaire Alexander and Kevin King both battling injuries. But if there is a silver lining ahead of their trip to Cincinnati, it may be that first-round rookie Eric Stokes looks as advertised through the first four games of his career.
Stokes delivered in a big way during his second career start for the Packers in Week 4, recording a season-best eight tackles and two pass deflections along with making his first career interception to help seal their 27-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was exactly the type of clutch finish the Packers needed after watching Alexander, an All-Pro and one of the best outside corners in the league, carted into the locker room. It also prompted Packers head coach Matt LaFleur to gush about the young cornerback when talking to reporters after the game.
“He is a guy that is just wired the right way,” LaFleur said in Sunday’s postgame. “He comes to work with the right attitude, with the right mentality, and I think he’ll continue to get better and better and better the more we progress through this thing. I just love what he’s all about as a person. I think he’s got a really great skill set to complement that and we’re fortunate to have that guy on our football team. Certainly, we were getting thin there in the secondary toward the end of the game. It was cool to see some of those young guys get out there and make some plays.”
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Stokes Nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week
It wasn’t just Green Bay’s locker room that appreciated Stokes’ impact performance against the Steelers. Stokes was also nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week for his efforts, vying with quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Mac Jones, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, running back Najee Harris and linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka for the distinction.
While Stokes might not have any interest in personal accolades, it may be helpful for this year’s No. 29 overall pick to receive some extra validation heading into a week where he could be the Packers’ top cornerback on the field. The Bengals have some gifted receivers in their arsenal, including Week 1 ROTW winner Ja’Marr Chase, who leads the team with 297 receiving yards through four games. They also have Tyler Boyd (23 receptions for 259 yards) and Tee Higgins (10 receptions for 118 yards) to throw at the Packers defense.
Packers fans can cast their votes for Stokes at the NFL’s website.