Philadelphia Eagles full 2021 NFL mock draft
Pick Analysis. player. Scouting Report. Cornerback. Georgia. Eric Stokes. 70. 54
As much as the Eagles front office might be tempted to go offense with every pick, ignoring their need at cornerback would be a costly mistake. Grabbing a quality player like Stokes in Round 3 would permit Philadelphia to fill that need with a relatively inexpensive solution.
Stokes’ lack of top-end speed limits his ceiling as a pro, but he’s got great size and ball skills for the position. Some scouts believe he’s only going to be effective in zone schemes due to that lack of speed. The Eagles should trust their ability to improve his technique enough to make him a productive player on the outside.
His ability to find the football when it’s thrown in his direction is his most appealing quality as a prospect. The Eagles need to find someone other than Darius Slay who can make that happen in their secondary. Stokes is well suited to step right in and be Philadelphia’s No. 2 corner early in his rookie campaign.
Grabbing a quality starter in Round 3 is solid value for a franchise that needs to find cheap, young talent. Stokes isn’t going to blossom into a superstar, but he’ll be a quality contributor during his rookie contract.