Raiders report: Stokes earns praise, new nickname from coordinator

Whether it’s because of the dated reference or the fact it’s a bit of a stretch, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has not been able to make his nickname for cornerback Eric Stokes stick.

Graham, a fan of old school hip-hop, has been referring to Stokes as “EPMD” as an ode to the New York rap group that produced the 1988 hit album “Strictly Business.”

“He’s long, he’s fast, he’s physical, does a solid job tackling, so that stuff stands out,” Graham said of Stokes. “Then when he’s presented with a one-on-one matchup or one-on-one challenge, he’s done a good job of stepping up to the plate in terms of handling that while playing penalty-free for the most part. Then, he brings veteran leadership. His nickname is ‘E,’ but he’s strictly business, which to me as an old school cat, led me to EPMD.

“I’m trying to get it to catch on, but it’s not.”

Stokes, who was born 10 years after the album was released, is among the players who haven’t embraced the nickname.

“That’s just ‘PG,’” Stokes said, laughing. “He came up with a nickname because he didn’t have one for me. He just always says I’m so serious in between the lines, so he just tried to make this funny little nickname for me. It’s OK.”

Stokes was happy to hear the rest of Graham’s compliments. The 26-year-old feels he’s playing the best football of his career.

“People don’t realize it, but I feel like I’m playing my best ball,” said Stokes, who has three pass breakups this year. “I made a lot of plays when I was a rookie because so many balls were coming to me. I feel now I’m better at understanding a lot more and being more comfortable. I’m just not getting the same amount of targets.”

Offenses do appear content to throw away from Stokes when they play the Raiders. The team’s other main outside corners are a pair of youngsters in Bishop Gorman alum Kyu Blu Kelly and rookie third-round pick Darien Porter.

“I feel like some teams have tried and some have not, but I always have to be ready,” Stokes said. “I may get one target. I may get five. You just never know how the quarterback is feeling, so you have to stay ready.”

Stokes knows he could be in for a challenge Monday against the Cowboys, who have a strong wide receiver duo in CeeDee Lamb and Stokes’ former Georgia teammate George Pickens.

“That’s my dog,” Stokes said of Pickens. “That man catches everything, so you have to get the ball first because if he lays a hand on it, it’s probably going to be his. His catch radius is unbelievable. He can make any catch look easy. I’ve seen him in practice make catches that are just crazy.”

Survey says

The NFL filed a grievance against the NFL Players Association this week seeking to end the annual survey the union does that grades teams on everything from treatment of players to food service.

The league claims the report cards violate the collective bargaining agreement because they involve public criticism of clubs. The NFLPA, despite the grievance, plans to hold another survery this year.

“I think it’s been an effective tool for us to communicate our workplace standards and to give owners an idea of things that are working well and areas where the players feel improvements can be made,” Raiders player rep AJ Cole said Friday. “I think it’s led to a lot of really positive change across the league. I think they’ve been a really good thing for the players and teams in general.”

The Raiders have fared well in the surveys for the most part. They’ve also taken quick action when they haven’t.

The team earned a C-plus in “Treatment of Families” in 2024, but received a B-plus this year.

“They took so much initiative for improving life for families and including them and involving them and creating an excellent game day atmosphere, especially for the guys with kids,” Cole said. “They’ve done a lot to improve that experience, so we’ve seen direct positive change through those surveys.”

The Raiders finished fourth overall out of 32 teams in this year’s survey, behind only the Dolphins, Vikings and Falcons.

Injury report

Wide receiver Tyler Lockett was a full participant in Friday’s outdoor practice and appears on track to play against the Cowboys after being limited Thursday with a knee injury.

Rookie linebacker Cody Lindenberg also practiced on a limited basis Friday after missing Thursday’s workout with an Achilles injury.

Running back Dylan Laube (foot) was added to the injury report Friday, but was still a full participant in practice.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.