Georgia CB Eric Stokes picked in first round by Green Bay Packers

ATHENS – Georgia’s Eric Stokes is fast. That has been known for some time. But until he started training for the NFL draft, nobody was sure exactly just how fast.

Then he ran a 40-yard dash in 4.25 seconds in front of NFL scouts. That was the fastest time any prospect ran in advance of the 2021 draft, the second-fastest since 2017 NFL Combine when John Ross clocked 4.22 seconds and would have been the fifth quickest in combine history had he been allowed to participate in one.

Now properly validated, Stokes’ blazing speed is finally going to earn him some money. On Thursday, the Bulldogs’ junior cornerback got a surprising first-round call from the Green Bay Packers to become the 29th pick of the NFL draft.

It was the fourth straight season Georgia has had a player go in the first round, and the seventh time in the last 10 years.

Both outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari and Tyson Campbell had higher average pre-draft grades than Stokes. But while 32 teams passed on those Bulldogs, the Packers could not pass up on Stokes’ speed. He was the fifth defensive back overall chosen Thursday.

The NFL draft’s second and third rounds will be conducted on Friday. Ojulari, Campbell, offensive lineman Ben Cleveland and center Trey Hill are among 10 Georgia players still awaiting their chances.

Stokes, a fourth-year junior, watched the draft Thursday with his family in his hometown of Covington. Stokes is the sixth Bulldog defensive player selected in the first round since 2013. The Bulldogs have had at least one player drafted for 29 consecutive years.

The actual number of NFL players that can run a sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash is considerably less many might think. Stokes not only ran a televised, laser-timed 4.25 40 at Georgia’s Pro Day, he actually did it at least two other times in combine conditions. Word is he went even faster during training and had an eye on the all-time record.

At Georgia, they generally didn’t run 40-yard dashes, but skill-position players were always fitted with GPS-monitoring devices for practice and games that showed Stokes nearly reaching 22 mph in bursts. Meanwhile, there allegedly were post-practice races between the likes of Stokes and fellow prep track stars such as cornerback Tyson Campbell and receiver Arian Smith.

Victors never were publicly declared. But the Bulldogs were quite certain that Stokes was very fast.

“Speed, speed and more speed, that is the first thing he can bring,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of Stokes’ attributes. “He’s a high-character young man who has brought so much to our program.”

Even Stokes seemed to be surprised by his 4.25 40 time. Not that he ran it, but the reaction to it.

“They’re finally acknowledging my speed, like, not pushing it aside,” Stokes said after posting his jaw-dropping time at UGA’s Pro Day. “They actually see I’m really that fast, and it’s really amazing.”

Stokes didn’t play cornerback at Eastside High. That meant a redshirt his freshman year at Georgia to learn the position. He became a part-time starter as a redshirt freshman, then a regular and second-team All-SEC performer as a sophomore. In his last season at Georgia, Stokes’ ball skills caught up with his athletic ability. He recorded a team-best four interceptions and 94 yards and a TD on returns.

If Stokes’ professional career remains on a similar trajectory, he’s going to become one of the NFL’s best corners – fast.

ERIC STOKES