Eric Stokes can save the 2021 Green Bay Packers draft class and raise the ceiling on the 2024 Pack

it's up to Eric Stokes this season to save the 2021 Packers draft you are locked on Packers your daily Green Bay Packers podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day you are locked on Packers part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day I'm Peter and I cover the Packers for the leap a newsletter I would love for you to subscribe to follow me on Twitter Peter Bowski follow the podcast on Twitter locked on Packers like us on Facebook subscribe to the podcast iTunes Spotify Google podcast wherever you find podcasts you will find locked on Packers the number one Packers podcast on the internet and the show for fans who know what happened they want to know why and how thanks to everyone who makes lock on Packers their first listen every day we hope you like starting your day with us as much as we like starting our day with you today's episode brought to you by our friends at FanDuel make every moment more as playoffs wind down Sports Stop sportsing like we want them to but this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with a boot boost or a bonus daily that's right there's something for everyone every day all summer long visit f.com lockon to get started as I was thinking about the players with the most on the line here the two names at the top of the list Eric Stokes and Josh Meyers are part of what is right now a truly terrible draft class for the Green Bay Packers and it is up to them and more likely just Eric Stokes to fix that now Josh Meyers you know I I think it's possible that that he could have a good enough season to get extended and move forward it doesn't seem like that's going to happen because they're already giving Elton Jenkins snaps at Center the rest of this class though let me remind you Eric Stokes first Josh Meyers Amari Rogers not in the NFL reyce Newman probably shouldn't be in the NFL now TJ Slayton I think he's going to get a contract extension a fifth round pick that's a home run but shmar John Charles can't play co van Lannon not on the team Isaiah McDuffy a fine backup linebacker a really good pick late in the seventh round given what he's given them but it's not someone that they want in meaningful roles for this team moving forward they proved it to us when they said edrian Cooper Tyron Hopper come on down and then kylin Hill who looked like the steel of this draft class couldn't get his act together apparently having having a day three where you get TJ Slayton and Isaiah McDuffy that's pretty good work but neither of those guys are are team building blocks not not really Eric Stokes as a rookie looked like he could be and we just haven't seen it but in a lot of ways he is the pivot point of this season not because if he's not healthy or not good enough they don't have someone to put in his place it is a good option to have to have Carrington Valentine he to me is similar to Christian Watson in that if he is healthy if he plays his best I have such faith in his gifts based on not just College tape or or pre-draft assessment because I didn't actually love Eric Stokes in the pre-draft process but watching him as a rookie the confidence he had the ability to not panic to play press to run with anyone to close down space to get he can get beat over the top and close down space like no one I've ever seen and then it just wasn't the same in 2022 he gets hurt he loses much of the 2023 season when he is out there he was out there too early and he gets hurt again then he gets back out there he has to play way too much because they don't have any Corners like they're everyone they're Mash unit on on that part of the ball and it just never looked right he never looked the same if he is what he was as a rookie just that guy it is an enormous benefit to this team with kesan Nixon and Jer Alexander and and you add Xavier McKinna and whatever you get else out of the safeties the secondary can be pretty good if Eric Stokes looks like that guy if he looks like that guy to start the season and can become some better version of himself after that by the end of the season he's starting to realize the vast potential that he has I mean that's a that's a I I cannot understate how vital that would be because all of these teams that you're going to face in the playoffs they have multiple receivers and defensively we we talk about this all the time every dayers they know this defense coverage is a weak link system you are only as good as your worst player if there are no weak links and this is something that like the Patriots are are just proof positive of for 20 years they were awesome defensively without consistent no doubt Hall of Famers like they had derell Rivas for a little bit they had some they had some really terrific players come through there but there's no there's no like hey we had Brian eracer for 10 years hey we had Ray Lewis for 15 years like they didn't have that but what they did has always always always have a roster full of guys who just know where to be know what they're doing you don't need that that high-end high-end Talent you know they get the derell Rivas for a year they get the Stefan Gilmore on one contract that's there for them if the Packers can get to that place where there's just nothing to pick on and the last couple years like the guy to pick on has been Joe Barry if that's not the case anymore Eric Stokes is such a ceiling Razer not just a floor Razer because like the floor to me is set by Carrington Valentine because if Eric Stokes isn't good enough you have carington Valentine who in year two he's gotten bigger he's gotten stronger that is your Baseline you know you're going to get at least that but Eric Stokes can take them to the Moon because that's where his potential is and this 2020 draft or 2021 draft excuse me it looked in the moment like the Packers press there were there were misses all over the place and in real time it was like some of the ones in the middle rounds especially now TJ Slayton again it turns out he's useful player he's going to start this year for the Packers this was not a good draft as of right now but if Eric Stokes hits his potential this year by the end of the season is playing like the guy who is the more fully realized version of the guy we saw in 2019 as a rookie then you come out of it with a backup guard a starting defensive lineman a linebacker that that if he doesn't start is a quality backup for you and a starting caliber corner that's a great draft that's a great draft but if Eric Stokes can't play can't stay healthy it goes from a great draft to a bad draft because you have no real impact players and when you're about to pay the quarterback a bazillion dollars you just can't afford to have that and that's the reality where the Packers find themselves right now luckily Brian uin it appears 2022 2023 those look like 2023 especially looks like they look like incredible drafts we'll see about this latest one but they need something out of Eric Stokes and if they get it if they get it Eric Stokes can take them over the top that's the beauty of it he can take them over the top now the interesting thing about the last couple drafts being so good and Eric Stokes being such a pivotal person in the 2021 draft is if you go back and look the drafts to start the Brian yudin era it's not great and we're going to look at it next unlocked on Packers today's EP so brought to you by our friends at FanDuel I love sports I love them so much I never want them to stop but with the playoffs over we get fewer games and the sports aren't sportsing like I want them to but FanDuel lets me keep the sports going whenever I want all I have to do open the app and dream up bets anytime I'm in the mood I love a golf bet and this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with a boost or a bonus daily that's right there's something for everyone every day all summer long I'm thinking of getting into the WNBA betting give be I'm I'm excited to do it and I'm excited to do it over at FanDuel fanduel.com lockon and you can start making the most out of your summer FanDuel official sports betting partner of Major League Baseball we're GNA talk about some stuff Brian gyin doesn't want you to hear about in just a second are you watching Fox Sports or ESPN on your TV all day have to turn down the volume with all that shouting make the switch to lockon sports today a free 247 sports streaming Channel programmed for you every day to bring you the biggest stories without all the screaming locked on sports today brings you can't miss analysis opinions and news streaming 24/7 on YouTube or the free Amazon Fire TV channels app part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day so I went back and was looking and and every every once in a while I like to go back and see as I go through the models and and the different things that the Packers look for in the drafts I like to go back to the drafts and just sort of reassess what's going on and the first Brian gudin draft he absolutely Nails Jer Alexander and then gets the future first it is about as virtuosic a start as a drafter as you can get Ted Thompson took Aaron Rogers this is a a organization that just must have a thing but Josh Jackson Nothing Orin Burks not on the team he's a fine player but they traded up in the third round for him J Moore couldn't play JK Scott they used a a Draft pick on a puncher he couldn't play they used a draft piic on Hunter Bradley he couldn't play as a Long Snapper they drafted three receivers only one of them turned into a meaningful contributor that was markquis valal scaning the rest James Ludy Kendall donerson now you get an allpro in a draft that's nice and you get an All Pro Plus a rotation level receiver a rotation level receiver that now two championship caliber teams have decided we're good but that another championship caliber team is like we need that guy it's because you get the future first out of it you have to say it worked but it's not a great draft by any means 2019 got better right ran Gary a little heads scratching in the moment but we've seen what he's become Darnell Savage the lted pick in the moment he's no longer on the team part of that is I think usage part of that is money um some of the things they had to do this contract to make all the numbers work part of the reason why I don't think he ever came back but then you hit on that Jenkins absolutely no doubt you hit on Kingsley Kiki and then it doesn't doesn't go great he gets essentially kicked off the team after that like Ty summer is a nice special teams player it's ran Gary and Ellen Jenkins those are two core members of your team but it's certainly not how you build a a franchise for the long term you need more success than that now if you if you make sure like if you find a Jer Alexander and rashan Gary and an Elton Jenkins in three drafts or in two drafts three guys Three core pieces three of the best players on your team we're doing over the leap and I would love for you to subscribe to we're doing our our top 90 players I promise you those three guys are going to be in the top 10 and they are in the top 10 at their respective positions like they're really really good players but you it just doesn't work to build the roster that way we talked about 2021 now the 2020 draft you may recall Jordan love that's a home run and I said at the time it doesn't matter what else happens in this draft getting Jordan love if he's good makes it a good draft well that's still I still think that's true especially because Jordan love has exceeded even my expectations of what he could be but I mean the rest of this a J Dylan got a one-year special dispensation deal Josiah D guara gone Camille Martin Long Gone John ran Jr gone and the rest of the Jonathan Garvin has a very nice career playing professional football not in the NFL do you even remember what happened to St Simon stepanic there was that moment when it seems like Vernon Scott was going to get an opportunity that was a fun four minutes it really was was an up and down run for Brian Gins to start his Drafting and the the players that he hit he hit monster monster but the 2021 draft which is is the last draft we can fairly assess because you need three years and really you probably only need two so like we have a good idea of the 2022 draft like Zack Tom really good we know that we have question marks on Sha Ryan on Romeo dos on Christian Watson on Quay Walker on Devonte Wyatt like that's why it takes three years this is a pivot point year for that group too I think that group has the most to gain of anyone as we had toward training camp we'll talk we'll we're going to talk about that to close the show but in the first handful of Seasons this did not go great and and one of the reasons why I bring this up is first of all I wanted to highlight Eric Stokes but as much of a heater as I think Brian gin has been on 22 23 especially it it just es and flows that's just how it it's it's there is no science and you're you're going to have stretches where you only hit on a couple guys now if you only hit on Jer Alexander ran Gary Jordan love and Elton Jenkins all core players mostly premium positions and we're talking about guys who are like Pro Bowl All Pro like alen Jenkins is an All Pro Caliber player J Alexander is an All Pro Caliber player rwn Gary Pro Bowl caliber player I think in this scheme has a chance to get in that all pro conversation Jordan love has a chance to get into that all pro conversation if you hit you better hit big big but in 2022 it's depth it's all these other guys 2023 is there a super duper Star from the 2023 draft we'll see but like Jaden re Luke Musgrave Tucker craft tavan wins Carl Brooks Lucas vaness up and down the line these guys it's like we know already they're good NFL players that's crazy we know already they're good NFL players and they can be even better you have to have both you have to have the the years where you hit on at least one stud if you're not going to get the depth and then you're going to have to get lucky in a draft where you do what Brian gyin did in 2023 and like hit all of them like all of those guys they're not just starting the way that Ted Thompson guys used to just start because he refused to add in free agency no we know Brian goodin will add in free agency they're all going to start because they're good or they're going to play meaningful roles because they're good we don't even know who the best receiver on this team is and there are reasonable Arguments for like four guys and two of them were drafted in 2023 two more were drafted in 2022 that you have to have both now there are heavy expectations for all these players players because there has to be because they need them to perform on cheap contracts the 2022 class right now is in the same position that Eric Stokes and Josh Meers and those guys were in last year the Packers have decisions to make and if those players turn out to be good they're going to get contracts that's why they have the most to gain this year we're going to talk about it next un locked on Packers today's episode brought to you by our friends at better help sometimes we will compare ourselves to other people and they say comparison is the thief of Joy I say this all the time it's easy to Envy other people's lives it might look like they have it all together on their Instagram but in reality they probably don't this thing that we walk through in life is hard and it can be hard for everyone at at times therapy can help you focus on what you want instead of what others have so you can start living your life if you're thinking of starting therapy give better help a try it's entirely online designed to be convenient flexible and suited to your schedule just fill out a brief questionnaire and get match with a licensed therapist and switch therapists anytime for no additional charge stop comparison and start focusing with betterhelp visit betterhelp.com lockon to get 10% off your first month that's betterhelp.com locked on locked onon has launched the first ever National Sports 24/7 streaming Channel on YouTube and now it's also available on Amazon Fire TV and the free Fire TV channels app locked on sports today is here for you 24/7 covering the top sports stories of the day with a local expert of locked on plus our national shows covering every League find locked on sports today now available on the free Fire TV channels app a lot of this is timing and so in a year the Packers have to decide on Dante Wyatt and Quay Walker's fifth year options in a year it's going to be time to start discussing Romeo dobs and Christian Watson extensions same for Zack Tom what is the future of Shawn Ryan now remember the first round guys they get the four-year contract with the fifth year option everyone else it's four years and if you're a core player you are not going into year four of a four-year deal which will be 2025 on a lame duck year you are getting paid especially if you are like like not just a core special teamer if you're Christian Watson you become one of the the wide receiver one or wide receiver two and that becomes clear or if Quay Walker takes a step forward he's going to get starting linebacker money eventually they can just pick up his fifth year option first but all those decisions are coming they will be they will have been made by this time next year we'll know if Shawn Ryan is part of the future in Green Bay we'll know what the Packers think of quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt are they foundational pieces for the Green Bay Packers where does Christian Watson and Romeo dobs fit into the Packers pecking order and hierarchy and where does Zack Tom fit into the NFL landscape as one of the best offensive lineman in the league because he's gonna want a lot of money and he's going to deserve a lot of money Kingsley and igar a rotational pass rusher is someone going to pay him to be a starting pass rusher I I think he could do that I think he'd be a good starter on there are some teams right now today he could walk into their rooms and upgrade their rooms as the starter he's like outside linebacker four for the Packers defensive end I'm gonna I'm going to get the verbiage down by the time we open by the time we open training camp but that means there's a lot on the line and a lot to gain a lot to gain yes the Packers gain by those players doing well but in the case of the receivers for example they have answers in the case of quay Walker they have answers in the case of Devonte Wyatt you know Kenny Clark Carl Brooks and it may be the case the Packers are waiting on Kenny Clark because they want to see what Devonte Wyatt has and if in the first 6 games he's not doing much maybe they'll cut the check then now it seems like vonte Wyatt's not even going to be a starter so I don't even know what we're talking about here just pay Kenny Clark I still don't know why we're waiting on this it's probably the Jordan love thing you want to get it done know what the cap looks like okay boom here comes the the Kenny Clark extension but then that makes the decision on Devonte Wyatt really interesting because you have to pay him that starter level money that comes with the fifth year option to maybe not be a starter and if you want the space eater with TJ Slayton next to Kenny Clark can Devonte Wyatt and Kenny Clark play together and if you're going to extend Kenny Clark then why would you use the fifth year option on Devonte Wyatt if he's a backup like that doesn't make any sense so there's a there's a lot of the line here financially for these guys too but it's it's about the future of the team as well the Packers have decisions to make and so they're going to have to learn a lot about these guys in you know 17 games is not a lot of time I understand you're hoping that it's 1920 games right but you never know what you're going to get and so these guys Christian Watson can make a boatload of money if he is a number one option in this offense I've said it before I'll say it again they can be the best team in the league offensively they can be a and I he I think he has the talent to be one of the best receivers in the league those guys make $30 million a year maybe the Packers don't want to pay that but if he's that good you you you got to do it so there's a lot to be gained from those guys this year they might look at it as a lot to prove and that that is true to a point as well but there's a lot to gain here too all right we are a little bit of a modified schedule this week with the fourth but we are going to have shows at least I think four shows this week um the last one will come out on the fourth listen to it over the course of the weekend if you want but we're still going to be here the rest of the week um we'll be a little bit lighter next week because I will be um with family so it's July it's July we made it to training camp month but it's 3 weeks away and I don't I don't want this show to be homework when everyone should be enjoying their Summers too so back tomorrow much more on lockdown Packers as always follow me on Twitter Peter Bowski follow the podcast on Twitter locked on Packers like us on Facebook subscribe to the podcast iTunes Spotify Google podcast wherever you find podcast you will find locked on Packers and anytime you want to come hang out with us over on our social medias Instagram Tik Tok YouTube you can subscribe there so you can stay locked on Packers