Paul Bretl | 11/22/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — With Jaire Alexander’s timetable for returning unknown as he works through a PCL injury, the Packers will have to lean heavily on Carrington Valentine and their cornerback depth moving forward.
As a seventh-round pick in 2023, Valentine emerged as one of the Packers’ starting cornerbacks during his rookie season, playing over 800 defensive snaps while allowing a completion rate of 55 percent with five pass breakups.
“I would say just the time I’ve been out there, recognition,” said Valentine at his locker on Thursday when asked where his game has grown the most. “Things starting to slow down–things are really starting to slow down, especially like I said, out there on the perimeter, in the run-action at you and stuff like that. I feel like that’s probably the major thing.”
At the start of offseason programs and into training camp, Valentine was competing with Eric Stokes for that starting spot opposite of Alexander. Unfortunately, early on in camp, a hamstring injury would sideline Valentine for multiple weeks and that competition that was supposed to take place never really got off the ground.
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After playing just nine snaps in the Packers’ opener against Philadelphia, Valentine saw his playing time take a big jump in Week 2 against Indianapolis, but an ankle injury in this game would force him to miss the next two games while he remained on the Packers’ injury report through Week 7.
For Valentine, who played in 25 games during his final two seasons at Kentucky along with over 1,500 defensive snaps, having to navigate injuries this season has put him in uncharted waters.
“This has definitely been something different for me,” said Valentine. “Never missed a snap playing football until I got into the NFL. So this definitely wasn’t normal. Wasn’t something that I liked, like I said, I don’t like being hurt, I don’t like missing practice. It’s definitely something different.”
As the season has evolved, the Packers’ secondary has been reshaped. After rookie Javon Bullard began the season at safety next to Xavier McKinney, he then transitioned to the slot cornerback role. This then allowed the Packers to get fellow rookie Evan Williams on the field, and with Keisean Nixon, he ended up moving to the boundary opposite of Alexander.
Then, up until recent weeks, Stokes was the next cornerback in line behind Alexander and Nixon, seeing playing time in dime situations or when Jeff Hafley wanted to get his skill set on the field for certain matchups or down and distances. This, however, left many wondering where Valentine was.
“It was the injuries,” said Hafley on Thursday. “It’s just him practicing and getting himself ready to play in a game and he’s done that now.”
Facing Detroit in Week 9, Valentine played 35 defensive snaps and Stokes 37 as the Packers had to reshuffle the secondary with both Alexander and Williams out. But then, this past Sunday in Chicago, Valentine played 64 snaps to Stokes’ four.
Valentine adds another physical presence to the secondary when on the field, more than happy to help out in the run game as evidenced by his eight tackles in Week 11. In coverage, he would allow three completions on four targets, but did force a pass breakup and held pass-catchers to a combined 30-yards.
“It’s been a while,” Valentine said of his play, “but it was a good to get back out there. Feel some things out, make some plays in the run game and stuff like that. It felt good and something to build off of.”
Hafley wasn’t going to specifically say that Valentine would be one of the starters while Alexander was out. Perhaps, he just doesn’t want to give up whatever competitive advantage may come with that. Or, as we’ve seen from Hafley throughout the season, playing time is going to be determined by what the matchup dictates and could ebb and flow week to week.
“I think he’s done a nice job,” Hafley said of Valentine, “but I do think there’s still competition in that room with him and Kei and Stokes. I think there’s competition and that’s what we want, so they push each other each day in practice and they’re all gonna play.
“I mean you’ve seen packages where in certain groupings, all three of them have been on the field and if Ja does play on Sunday, then all four of them are on the field. I mean and that’s — the more DBs in certain situations you can get on the field in some instances the better and if you don’t have those guys you gotta adjust.”
Right or wrong, the Packers have been bullish about their cornerback depth since the offseason, which of course, has dictated their decision-making at the position. It’s why, even though there were question marks around this unit prior to the draft, Green Bay didn’t make an addition at that position until the seventh round, even though they had the opportunity to do so earlier.
Since then, whether it be Matt LaFleur or Gutekunst, both have continued to voice their confidence in that group, even as recently as the bye week when Gutekunst spoke with local media members.
“I think a lot of the moves you saw today,” said Brian Gutekunst on the day of the trade deadline, “were reactions to injuries and things like that where you’re missing things. But yeah, no, I really like our group,” said Gutekunst referring to the entire team.
“Obviously we do a lot of work prior to the season to try to make sure that we’re a deep team that can sustain an entire season and if we have injuries that we don’t have to go outside of the building to fulfil that and I feel we’ve done that and I feel really good about our football team. I like our depth.”
On the year, the 6.6 yards per pass attempt allowed by the Green Bay defense ranks 16th in the NFL and 29th in pass deflections. In terms of explosive pass plays, the Packers have surrendered the eighth-most through 10 games and have the eighth-highest explosive pass play rate as well.
Naturally, when Jaire Alexander is on the field, this group performs much better. Alexander has surrendered a completion rate of just 56 percent this season with two interceptions, seven pass deflections, and a passer rating when targeted of just 79.9.
However, now, the cornerback depth that the Packers have been so bullish on will again be tested while Alexander remains out and includes going up against some high-powered passing games in the coming weeks, which features San Francisco, Miami, and Detroit. But Valentine remains confident and ready for the challenge ahead.
“I mean, I feel like it never left,” Valentine said of his confidence. “You have some injuries, like I said, it comes with the sport. Going out there and just feeling it out and everything else, getting comfortable and things, I feel like the confidence for me never left, no matter what the injury was.”