Seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine enjoyed what coach Matt LaFleur called a “great day” during the Green Bay Packers’ eighth practice of the offseason workout program.
Valentine, the 232nd overall pick out of Kentucky, broke up a pair of passes against Jordan Love while covering starting wide receiver Romeo Doubs in a red zone period on Tuesday.
“I thought ‘CV’ has done an unbelievable job,” LaFleur said. “You can really see the body movement skills that he possesses, and he’s been working hard. I think there’s been some great lessons along the way, but he’s a guy that certainly has the talent. It’s going to be on him to put it all together and go out there and do it in the preseason.”
Valentine led Kentucky with 10 pass breakups in 12 games last season. According to PFF, he allowed 36 catches on 65 targets over 375 coverage snaps in 2022, and he intercepted one pass but also dropped three other potential interceptions.
In Green Bay, Valentine will get a chance to stick on the 53-man roster as a backup corner who can develop within the defense.
Opportunities arrived right away for the rookie.
With Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas absent and Eric Stokes still recovering from last season’s injuries, young players like Valentine, Shemar Jean-Charles and Corey Ballentine are getting first-team reps at cornerback.
“Can’t put a value on (the extra reps). They are so important,” LaFleur said.
The first-team reps are especially important for a rookie like Valentine, who switched to cornerback as a junior in high school and has only been playing the position for a handful of seasons.
Can the seventh-rounder translate a standout start to the offseason workout program into a strong performance during training camp and preseason games? That’s the next step for Valentine, a talented rookie who is making plays at OTAs.
