LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – Washington announced today that they have named Eric Stokes as director of pro scouting and Don Warren as senior pro scout.
"Eric Stokes is one of the finest scouts I have been around during my time as a coach in this league," said Head Coach Ron Rivera. "He is a man that knows what I expect and knows the culture that I want to instill here in Washington. His experience as an assistant general manager and his familiarity with my expectations make him an invaluable addition to our organization."
Eric Stokes brings 20 combined years of NFL experience to the role. He joins Washington after spending five seasons with the Carolina Panthers in a variety of roles, including director of college scouting, regional director of college scouting and southwest area scout.
As the director of college scouting for the Panthers, Stokes oversaw a college scouting staff that was tasked with targeting and tracking draft-eligible prospects, as he worked with area scouts. He was responsible for the pre-draft evaluation process at the NFL Combine, pro days and visits by draft-eligible players.
Prior to joining Carolina, Stokes spent two seasons (2014-15) as the assistant general manager of the Miami Dolphins. In his role, Stokes assisted in all aspects of player evaluation and acquisitions at the professional and collegiate levels, including the daily management and makeup of the Dolphins roster as well as guiding the team's preparation for the annual NFL Draft.
From 2012-13, Stokes was the director of college scouting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Stokes spent 12 seasons as a member of the Seattle Seahawks scouting staff, working as an area scout (2000-01, 2005-09) and pro personnel assistant (2002-04) before serving as assistant director of college scouting from 2010-11. In that role, Stokes was instrumental in bringing in defensive standouts safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, linebacker Bobby Wagner and cornerback Richard Sherman.
Stokes played two seasons as a safety for the Seahawks after being selected in the fifth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 expansion draft before an injury cut his career short.
"Donny Warren is a man that I have known for a long time. We played in the same era in the NFL and we worked closely together in Carolina for many years," said Head Coach Ron Rivera. "He is a man who I trust and whose work I value. I am so happy that he gets to return to the organization where he played and help us transition into a new era of football in Washington D.C."
Don Warren comes back to Washington following 10 years with the Panthers where he was a pro scout and assisted in the advance scouting of Carolina's opponents and evaluating talent in each professional league. Prior to joining the Panthers, Warren spent 2005-09 as a pro scout for Washington.
A fourth-round draft choice for Washington, out of San Diego State in 1979, Warren played his entire 14-year career (1979-92) at tight end for Washington. He saw action in 193 games, amassing 244 receptions for 2,536 yards and seven touchdowns. Warren started in four Super Bowls (XVII, XVIII, XXII, XXVI) under head coach Joe Gibbs, winning three. An original member of the Washington offensive line known as the Hogs, Warren was named to Washington's 70 Greatest team in 2002.
Following his playing career, he worked as a football and baseball coach at Centreville High School in Virginia.
