What to know about Carrington Valentine, Kentucky cornerback and Green Bay Packers seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft
Tom DombeckGREEN BAY − To start the first of four seventh-round draft choices, the Green Bay Packers took Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine at No. 232 overall.
It was the first defensive back chosen by the Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
Carrington Valentine to provide depth at cornerback
PackersNews.com analysis: Valentine has the raw athletic abilities to play cornerback in the NFL but must work on the finer points. He's more a man-to-man cover corner than zone coverage. He'll be likely depth behind a group of corners headlined by All-Pro Jaire Alexander.
Height, weight, other measurables
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 193 pounds
Hand size: 9 1/4 inches
Arm length: 32 1/4 inches
Carrington Valentine Kentucky highlights
- Made 12 starts for Kentucky in 2022
- Led the team with 10 pass breakups
- Tallied 48 tackles and one interception
Carrington Valentine on the Packers
Valentine met the local media via conference call on Saturday. Here are some highlights.
On the decision to leave college early: "What made me want to enter, I just felt like I was ready to make that jump and bet on myself and learn from some of the great minds and coaches."
On playing with Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes: "Real gritty guys, competitive, I just feel like going in there, I'm already one of them 'cause that's how I play, press man all day."
On his playing style: "I feel like I'm a physical press man corner. I feel like I can be left on an island and press a receiver ... I'm a young corner, I only made the switch my junior year."
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s take on Carrington Valentine
"Valentine has the physical traits necessary for the NFL but the instincts and body control to extend his coverage against quality route runners leaves something to be desired. He’s solid at crowding vertical throws and can play press-and-bail, but he has had coverage busts in zone. Also, he bites too easily on double moves. Valentine’s lack of aggression as a run defender could make it tougher for zone teams to give him a chance."