Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes is one of the fastest players in the 2021 NFL draft.
Michael Woods/AP Photo
My take: Should it really be any surprise that the Packers went defense in the first round? This is the ninth time in their last 10 first-round picks they’ve addressed that side of the ball, with the lone offensive player being quarterback Jordan Love last year. Brian Gutekunst took a cornerback, Jaire Alexander, with his first pick as GM in 2018. Also, the last two times the Packers changed defensive coordinators, they gave him a first-round player or players. In 2009, Dom Capers got two first-rounders -- B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. Mike Pettine got Alexander in 2018 and now Joe Barry gets Stokes. The pick says Pettine wasn’t the only problem with the Packers’ defense last year.