Rookie Eric Stokes passing the eye test in…

GREEN BAY – Davante Adams saw it coming.

Nearly every day this past summer, the Packers’ All-Pro receiver placed his toe on the line of scrimmage and saw rookie first-round draft pick Eric Stokes standing across from him.

Adams and MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers made a few plays against Stokes’ coverage, but by the end of training camp, the 22-year-old cornerback had earned the respect of his offensive counterparts.

So much so Adams paid Stokes the ultimate compliment in late August when he compared the rookie to Jaire Alexander and Sam Shields, two of the top cornerbacks the Packers fielded during Adams’ first seven years with the team.

“He’s the closest thing to Jaire here as far as mentality and ability from what I’ve seen so far,” said Adams at the time. “The kid is fast as hell. He can get beat and recover kind of like how Sam Shields would do.”

Today, the NFL is beginning to see what Adams witnessed in the summer. Over the past two months, Stokes has gone from a rookie who played just eight snaps in the opener against New Orleans to Green Bay’s most active cornerback, leading his position with 499 defensive snaps played.

Stokes has had to grow up fast in the absence of Alexander, who has yet to return since suffering a shoulder injury against Pittsburgh in Week 4. With veteran Kevin King missing five games of his own due to injury, Stokes was thrown into the fire against some of the league’s top receivers.

The rookie didn’t just survive, he thrived on the perimeter. Under the tutelage of respected defensive backs coach Jerry Gray, Stokes has allowed just 27 catches on 54 targets (50%) this season for 347 yards and two touchdowns with an interception in nine games, according to Pro Football Reference.

His 75.2 opposing passer rating ranks among the best in a very talented rookie class of cornerbacks.

“He’s doing a lot of what I expected him to do based off what I saw early,” said Adams on Wednesday. “He’s putting a lot into his craft. He’s definitely owning up on that, having guys like Jaire in front of him helps a lot. Just kind of seeing the way he navigates, small things like that, just locking in on the details.”