The cornerback position has some question marks for the Green Bay Packers, but an established veteran like Stephon Gilmore could give the team some much-needed depth.
Adding Gilmore, a free agent, was on ESPN’s list of final moves all 32 NFL teams should make before training camp. The list included extensions for current players and free agent signings.
“The Packers need a backup for [Eric] Stokes with more experience than Corey Ballentine or Carrington Valentine,” Aaron Schatz wrote on June 20. “Gilmore, 33, still has something left in the tank and would be valuable to the Packers even if he couldn’t beat out Stokes for the starting spot in training camp.”
Can Stephon Gilmore Still Play at a High Level?
Gilmore may not be the superstar he used to be. However, it seems he might have enough left in the tank to keep competing as an NFL cornerback. He is the highest ranked (31st) unsigned player on CBS Sports’ list of the fop 100 free agents.
However, The 33rd Team noted in a June 20 story that cornerback is a “young man’s game.”
“There are only four active cornerbacks on NFL rosters who are 31 or older (Darius Slay, Troy Hill, Antonio Hamilton, and Darius Williams),” Marcus Mosher wrote. “Cornerback is a young man’s game, and most teams are not interested in 30-year-old cornerbacks, let alone a 34-year-old.”
It’s been three years since Gilmore’s last Pro Bowl appearance. That doesn’t mean that he’s completely fallen off. He had a respectable 2023 season with the Dallas Cowboys, recording a career-high 68 tackles with 2 interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
Gilmore has also continued to be reliable in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed a passer rating of 90.4 when targeted in 2023, which is just a slight uptick from the 82.6 rating allowed in 2022.
Gilmore, a Super Bowl champion, Defensive Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-Pro, and five-time Pro Bowler, said he was taking his time signing with a team for 2024.
“Being patient right now,” he said June 12, according to MassLive.com. “I feel good, Year 13, been playing a long time. So I’m just being patient and waiting for the right opportunity.”
Don’t Sleep on Carrington Valentine
Plenty of media outlets are projecting the Packers sign a veteran cornerback. Don’t tell Valentine that, because he could be in store for a strong 2024 campaign.
Valentine was only a seventh-round pick last season out of Kentucky. He wasn’t expected to have much of an impact, but made a big splash as a starter for a large chunk of last season. He played in all 17 regular season games, racking up 44 tackles and nine pass breakups.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur expects big things from Valentine in Year 2. He spoke glowingly about what he’s seen from the young corner during offseason workouts.
“I think it’s been outstanding,” LaFleur told reporters at minicamp “That’s a guy that stands out, quite frankly, in my mind, in terms of, we challenged him to put on some weight after the regular season. He came back, and he definitely looks bigger, and is bigger. He’s stronger…I’m excited for him. I think he has a really bright future.”
He may not have been a household name coming out of Kentucky, but Valentine’s intensity and effort have him in a legitimate competition with Eric Stokes to be a full-time starting cornerback in 2024.
