How each division rival made life easier on the Lions this offseason
By Ryan Heckman
![Detroit Lions, Jared Goff Detroit Lions, Jared Goff](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3966,h_2230,x_0,y_65/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/53/01hy3ktc4wd70ms9qcc2.jpg)
Green Bay is banking heavily on an injury-prone starting cornerback
Staying on the defensive side of the ball, let's move on to the Packers, where 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes is currently being counted on as the team's second starter at cornerback next to Jaire Alexander.
After a promising rookie season in 2021, Stokes went on to struggle with injuries, appearing in only 12 games over the past two seasons, combined. Packer fans will tell you that, while Stokes is talented, they can't help but be worried that he won't hold up and might just be too injury-prone to count on as a starter in this league.
Behind Stokes is 2023 seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine. Playing over 400 coverage snaps as a rookie, Valentine posted a coverage grade of just 60.1, per Pro Football Focus. That doesn't exactly scream "insurance."
Green Bay fans would have loved to see the team go out and get another veteran cornerback, or even draft one in the top two or three rounds in order to give Stokes some healthy competition and, ultimately, some depth for the room as a whole.
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