3 mistakes Packers made in NFL Draft this year

2. Reaching for Eric Stokes in Round 1

The Packers were guilty of the largest reach in Round 1 outside of Las Vegas’ comical selection of Alex Leatherwood. Stokes has the potential to grow into a decent starter in time, but he easily could have slid down to Round 3 if not for Green Bay’s infatuation with him as a prospect.

He’s got good speed and quickness for the position, but he really struggled at times with his man coverage work at Georgia. Many scouts believe he’s best suited to play strictly in zone schemes at the next level. That belief should have pushed his draft landing spot well outside of Round 1.

This looks like a classic case of a franchise prioritizing need over the idea of getting value with their most premium draft choice. Any team that elects to re-sign Kevin King clearly has a big need at corner. That doesn’t mean Green Bay needed to panic to take Stokes at No. 29.

This is a clear spot where Green Bay would have been better served to add a new weapon at wide receiver or even an intriguing edge rusher. They blew their first round draft choice by locking in on the cornerback position before the draft ever began.