Carrington Valentine making most of expanded role in Packers defense

Carrington Valentine seemed to establish himself as Green Bay’s best pure cover corner by the end of the 2024, at least once Jaire Alexander was jettisoned from the team, yet perplexingly found his opportunities limited at the start of the 2025 campaign.

He started just one of the first six games and played only two snaps in the Packers’ Week 7 win over the Cardinals.

But a combination of injuries and poor play from Green Bay’s other cornerbacks opened the door for him to reassert his place in Jeff Hafley’s defense, and the former seventh-round pick has grabbed it.

Valentine has once again been their most consistent corner in coverage, and the numbers show that he has taken his game to another level in 2025.

Of 119 qualified cornerbacks, Valentine ranks sixth in PFFs coverage grade so far this season, up from 71.4 last year to 78.3 through 12 weeks of this season. He ranks 11th in reception percentage allowed at just 48.6%, which is a significant improvement from 81.6% last year.

The third-year corner also ranks 36th in yards per reception allowed, 18th in snaps per reception allowed, and the longest reception he has given up on the year is 28 yards, which is tied for the 16th lowest mark in the league.

There is still room for improvement for Valentine, specifically in getting his hands on the ball more regularly. He only ranks 75th in the NFL in forced incompletion rate at 8%, which is absolutely down slightly from 9% a year ago.

Valentine has no interceptions on the year thus far and has dropped two of them. Splash plays like picks and pass break ups is the key part of his game that can still stand to improve.

His NFL passer rating allowed has gone up from 82.8 last year to 91.3 in 2025, likely due to the dropped picks, which would have drastically altered his rating allowed for this year. Valentine had three interceptions in 2024, so there is at least some evidence he could yet hit a hot streak.

A less talked about, but crucial area of growth from Valentine between last season and this is his run defense. He was a liability at times against the run in 2024, and that kept him off the field at times.

Valentine is never likely to be a plus run defender, but his PFF run defense grade is at 56 this year, which is just below average and much better than the 40.5 he posted in 2024. His tackling grade has also improved from 39.9 to 51.8. It’s nothing special, but it’s good enough, and that matters.

It can certainly be argued that he should have been on the field more early in the year based on his performance and how Nate Hobbs was struggling not only with injury but also producing some unsteady performances.

Valentine was likely a victim of $48 million being spent on Hobbs in the offseason, as well as still battling to overcome his low draft pedigree, but after Hobbs was benched and then picked up another injury, his role has become more solidified.

With Keisean Nixon leaving Sunday’s win over the Vikings with an injury of his own, Valentine was thrust into an even bigger role, and shadowed All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson for good portions of the contest.

Speaking to the media after the game, head coach Matt LaFleur said Valentine has “done a hell of a job ever since his role’s been expanded. He’s answered the bell."

There is no doubt the scattershot and at times nonfunctional play from Minnesota quarterback JJ McCarthy helped make Sunday afternoon easier, and Thursday will bring another test, with Valentine likely to be up against the explosive Jameson Williams for much of the day.

All the evidence of the last couple of seasons points to Valentine being up to the task though. He has capitalized on every opportunity presented to him and looks like one of the better corners in the NFL right now.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Carrington Valentine making most of expanded role in Packers defense