Green Bay Packers select Bulldog Eric Stokes in NFL Draft’s first round

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Georgia defensive back Eric Stokes was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 29th overall pick in the opening round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Stokes, a native of Covington, Ga., watched day one of the Draft with his family in his hometown.  With his pick, the Bulldogs have now had at least one player drafted in each of the last 29 years. 

This marks the fourth consecutive year that the Bulldogs have had at least one First Round pick and seventh time in the last decade that Georgia has had a player selected in the opening round.  Stokes is the sixth Bulldog defensive player selected in the First Round since 2013.

Stokes is the first Bulldog selection for the Packers since defensive end Jarius Wynn went in the seventh round in 2009.  In fact, Stokes is the first Georgia player that the Packers have ever selected in the opening round.  He becomes the 17^thBulldog selection for Green Bay since the Packers picked their first Bulldog (Pete Tinsley) in 1938.

Stokes started 25 games and played in 36 games following a redshirt season in 2017.  The 2020 AP First Team All-SEC member had a career-high four interceptions and 94 return yards in nine games last season and he was one of only four FBS players to return two of those picks for touchdowns.  Stokes finished with 78 career tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble on a sack against Tennessee in 2019 that resulted in a Bulldog defensive touchdown.

Day two of the NFL Draft will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday and will feature the second and third rounds.  The last four rounds of the Draft will start on Saturday at 12 p.m.