Teaching is a big deal to new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak and his staff. The application of what has been taught will eventually be how the organization and fanbase measure his success, but at this stage in the offseason, Kubiak is beginning with the basics and focusing on development.
For a young Raiders team, that is a great approach. But these players also need someone in their position room who can lead by example. In particular, Las Vegas' secondary, especially at cornerback, needs someone to be that leader and teacher. Eric Stokes is the obvious man for the job.
Stokes was excited about the team re-signing him this offseason, and he was thrilled about getting to reunite with some of his Georgia teammates. But the five-year veteran, more than anything, is stepping up to the plate as the leader of a defensive backfield that badly needs a veteran voice.
Eric Stokes is stepping up as a leader for Las Vegas Raiders' young CB room
Although just 27 years old, Stokes is practically the elder statesman in the Raiders' cornerback room. Among notable players in the room, third-year player Decamerion Richardson and second-year guys Darien Porter and Greedy Vance Jr. are the next-oldest players.
Taron Johnson is technically the true veteran of the room, but with how this coaching staff views the nickel position, the longtime Buffalo Bills star is effectively working with the safeties. So Stokes must lead Richardson, Porter, Vance Jr. and a panel of young rookies, both drafted and undrafted.
When talking about the group's latest additions during a recent press conference, which includes draftees Jermod McCoy and Zeke Masses, Stokes expressed excitement for the crop of new players and noted that he feels the situation they are walking into in Las Vegas is beneficial for their growth.
"I love the new guys," Stokes said. "I just can't wait to see how they're going to develop and how they're going to move on from this thing. Especially coming from college to the league. It's always a challenge, but I feel like that we got the right guys and we got the right people in the room to help them grow."
Beyond just helping these young corners grow, Stokes wants to accept not only the challenges of being a leader, but he also wants to be the one to cultivate a brotherhood in the room. He is willing to be that standard bearer and culture setter.
"I just want to be a leader," Stokes said. "I want to show everybody that I can actually lead, that I can actually be something other than just what I am. I want to be able to be everything. Just be there for you. Just know on and off the field that you got a brother. I don't want you to feel that you're alone or anything. I want us to be connected in the DB room. One thing that Klint always say, we pretty much connected. ... We are a brotherhood. We could go out, we could do everything. We could celebrate together. We go to dinners together. We going to be pretty much like a family."
This isn't just lip service, though. Stokes is putting these words into action. Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard spoke to the media after Wednesday's OTA practice, and when asked about the competition in the cornerback room, he gave a special shoutout to Stokes for his leadership.
"It's competitive. The back end is extremely competitive," Leonard explained. "Those young guys are hungry. The vets are out there hungry, and Stokes is doing a great job leading them. I'm counting on his leadership, and he's doing a great job with that."
If, for whatever reason, you don't believe Leonard, then take fellow veteran secondary leader Jeremy Chinn's word for it:
"Eric, he's a big part of our defense," Chinn said on Wednesday. "He's here for a reason. He's somebody that we'll lean on and depend on. The collaboration with him from a leadership perspective has been big as well this offseason."
Stokes isn't just bettering his leadership skills this offseason, though. According to defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Joe Woods, who met with the media on Tuesday, Stokes is laser-focused on improving his game as well.
"I look forward, for him, to really continue to grow as a football player and get better," Woods said. "I think his time at Green Bay, obviously being a first-round pick and going out in free agency and seeing us sign him, I think he had to kind of rebuild who he was as a player. And I felt like he did a good job being consistent. He really did a good job taking away the deep balls. There's some things he and I talked about that he wants to get better at, but I think, really, the sky's the limit for him because he's such a good athlete and he's a smart football player."
Between being there for young players as a resource and creating the right culture and mindset in the cornerback room, to being a leader for everyone in the secondary, to improving his own skill set and leading by example, Stokes is stepping up to the plate for the Raiders already in 2026.
This young group needs Stokes, both on and off the field, and he's clearly up to the challenge.
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