Matt LaFleur Heaps Praise on Second-Year Defender

Getty Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is fired up about CB Carrington Valentine.

The Green Bay Packers nailed their 2023 draft class, and head coach Matt LaFleur is fired up about what Year 2 has in store for cornerback Carrington Valentine.

LaFleur spoke to reporters on Tuesday, June 11 after mandatory minicamp practice. When asked about Valentine, the Packers head coach didn’t hold back in his praise of the former seventh-round pick.

“I think it’s been outstanding,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “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.”

That’s high praise from LaFleur. If Valentine comes into training camp with that kind of outlook, then he could be competing for a starting spot opposite of Jaire Alexander.

Carrington Valentine’s Path to the NFL

Valentine wasn’t a household name heading into the NFL. Now, he has a chance to take a huge leap in his second season in the league.

Coming out of Cincinnati, Valentine was only a 3-star high school recruit. His offers included programs like Duke, Michigan State, and Minnesota, but he decided to play close to home for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Valentine became a full-time starter as a sophomore, playing 25 games over his final two seasons. He only had one interception in college, but recorded 118 total tackles and 21 pass breakups.

That lack of interceptions, combined with a smaller frame at 5’11” and 193 pounds, had Valentine waiting to hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was eventually taken with the 232nd pick by the Packers.

Injuries to Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes forced Valentine into the starting lineup as a rookie. He rose to the occasion, coming away with 44 tackles and nine pass breakups while appearing in all 17 games. According to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks posted a passer rating of just 80.7 when targeting him.

Now, Valentine is hoping to hold down a starting position in 2024, but faces some competition heading into training camp.

Can Eric Stokes Take His Starting Job Back?

When healthy, Stokes was the presumed starter on the other side of Alexander. Now, it’s not clear if the former first-round pick will be able to get his job back.

Stokes had a strong rookie season for the Packers. Despite allowing four touchdowns in coverage, opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of just 79.1 when targeting him in 2021.

Unfortunately, Stokes hasn’t been able to replicate the success he had as a rookie. Over the past two seasons, Stokes has allowed 29 receptions on 35 targets for 387 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

Injuries have also kept Stokes off of the field. After playing 16 games as a rookie, he’s appeared in just 12 games over the last two seasons. Lingering hamstring issues forced him onto injured reserve multiple times in 2023.

Now, Stokes is hopeful that he can regain his starting job with a healthy offseason heading in 2024. However, with the emergence of Valentine, his job is far from guaranteed heading into training camp.