Before the last two weeks of the season, Carrington Valentine had surpassed 50 snaps in just one game—Week 11 in Chicago.
Keisean Nixon and Eric Stokes have taken most of the cornerback snaps this season. Jaire Alexander missed seven games and logged just 10 snaps in Chicago. Alexander later revealed he suffered a torn PCL, leaving his return timetable uncertain.
Stokes and Nixon have struggled this season, though both showed improvement over the last two games. Green Bay already knows what they have in Nixon. Moreover, Stokes hasn’t returned to his promising 2021 rookie form. Injuries to his ankle and knee have sapped his speed, which was once his biggest strength. Unfortunately, he is trending toward bust status.
Green Bay, however, still has plenty of time to figure out what they have in Valentine. So far, the positives have outweighed the drawbacks.
Valentine allowed just one touchdown and recorded five pass breakups as a rookie. Quarterbacks had an 84.1 passer rating when targeting him, the eighth lowest among 26 rookie cornerbacks with at least 100 coverage snaps. He also allowed the eighth lowest completion percentage among cornerbacks with the same criteria.
It felt like we were saying, “Valentine is close to a pick,” every week last year. He was always around the ball. Valentine ranked among the top ten rookie corners in forced incompletions and pass breakups. He tied Jaire Alexander for forced incompletions and ranked second to him in pass breakups among all players in Green Bay’s secondary.
Valentine has played 412 snaps so far in 2024. His completion percentage is nearly 15% higher than last year. However, he’s played 262 coverage snaps and has yet to allow a touchdown. He also recorded three pass breakups and grabbed his first career interception against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15.
Although Valentine has the least NFL experience of him, Nixon, and Stokes, he is clearly the better player. He’s also a better fit for Jeff Hafley’s defense. There’s no reason not to give him a bigger workload. Valentine is just a second-year player with room for improvement. If the Packers can get the best out of him, they might have a reliable starter alongside a healthy Jaire Alexander.
The 11-4 Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth with their win over the New Orleans Saints. Next, they head to Minneapolis for a 3:25 p.m. CT showdown with the Vikings. This game is crucial for their chances at the 5th seed. Minnesota will have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson available, which will provide a great test for Valentine against a top passing offense.
