Training camp with the Green Bay Packers is the last chance that some players will have to showcase their talents to make the final 53-man roster. If they cannot make the cut in Green Bay, they are auditioning for the other 31 franchises around the league for a spot on their team.
One of the players looking to make an impact is Carrington Valentine. The seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Kentucky is facing an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster as a cornerback is one position that the Packers look set at. But, he is certainly making sure that the coaches take notice of him.
Valentine made his first splash play of camp when he intercepted a Danny Etling pass attempt at practice on Monday, which would have gone for a pick-six. Plays like that will stick with the coaches and get someone like Valentine to raise some eyebrows around the league.
The Packers coaching staff has certainly taken notice, as head coach Matt LaFleur talked about Valentine on Tuesday. Like with all young players, LaFleur would love to see some consistent play from the former Wildcat and build off of the strong performance he had on Monday.
“He’s extremely athletic, has made those splash plays,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “I love how he competes. He goes out there and challenges it. You can coach him hard, he’s receptive to the coaching. I think we have a good young player right there. I’m excited to see what he’s able to do when we get into some of these competitive practices going against a team like Cincinnati next week… and then into the preseason games. Certainly, we’re early on, only one day in pads. But I think he’s got a great attitude…I think this kid is very, very talented, and he has to continue to build on his early success.”
This isn’t the first time that Valentine’s name has come up for sticking out in a good way. Throughout OTA’s and minicamp in the spring, Valentine was someone that was making noise with his play on the field.
His performance has not gone unnoticed as Valentine is steadily climbing the team’s depth chart. He has consistently been playing with the Packers’ second team of cornerbacks behind Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas.
Should Eric Stokes not be healthy enough to be in the lineup in Week 1, there is certainly a chance that Valentine could take his place. He will be someone to keep an eye on once joint practices and preseason games start as the Kentucky product could cement his status on the 53-man roster.
