Packers sign first-round pick Eric Stokes to rookie contract

About five weeks after becoming the 29th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Eric Stokes now has his signing bonus check to cash. The Green Bay Packers announced that Stokes signed his rookie contract on Wednesday, making him the eighth of the Packers’ nine 2021 picks to sign his contract.

As the 29th overall pick, Stokes is locked into a well-prescribed draft slot with the full value of his contract being guaranteed. According to Overthecap.com, the 29th pick should come with a signing bonus of just over $6 million and a total contract value just north of $11.9 million. With a $660,000 base salary in 2021, that puts Stokes’ year-one salary cap number at about $2.17 million.

Signing this deal gives Stokes the second-highest cap hit of any cornerback on the roster for 2021 behind Jaire Alexander. However, that is only because the Packers played some games with Kevin King’s one-year, $5 million contract, backloading $3 million of it into the 2022 cap due to a signing bonus and void years. Meanwhile, Chandon Sullivan comes in at $2.133 million on a restricted free agent deal, just south of Stokes’ number. All four of those players are expected to play prominent roles.

Stokes reportedly was impressive in Wednesday’s OTA practice, with several reporters complimenting him on his excellent coverage of the Packers’ receivers. However, the team’s top five wideouts remain absent during the voluntary workouts.

The Packers now have just one draft pick left to sign: third-round wide receiver Amari Rodgers.