Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams has high hopes for rookie cornerback Eric Stokes.
On Thursday, Adams was asked for his early evaluation of the team’s first-round draft pick and he compared him to two current and former Packers Pro Bowlers.
“He’s the closest thing to Jaire (Alexander) as far as mentality and ability, from what I’ve seen so far,” said Adams. “The kid is fast as hell. He can get beat and recover kind of like how Sam Shields would do.”
Adams then recalled a play from his rookie year where he beat Shields off the line of scrimmage, but the savvy corner somehow recovered when Adams believed he was wide open. Adams stated that he sees similar tendencies out of Stokes.
Earlier this week, Stokes caught Adams’ attention when he made a really good play in practice. Stokes was covering Adams on a comeback route, and the patience the young corner used reminded him of both Alexander and Shields.
“I like what I see from him,” stated Adams.
Stokes even took it upon himself to thank Adams for not letting off the gas in practice. Adams is used to embarrassing corners almost weekly, and Stokes is no exception in practice. Going up against Adams is only going to benefit Stokes in the long run.
Clearly, Adams recognizes Stokes’ potential, or he wouldn’t have given him such a profound stamp of approval. Alexander is one of the best corners in the game, and Shields was a Pro-Bowl caliber player in his own right.
In the meantime, Stokes will continue to get tested. He played sparingly in Green Bay’s first preseason game against the Houston Texans and is expected to Saturday against the New York Jets. However, going up against the best of the best every day in practice is what is getting Stokes ready for the regular season.
