Commanders showing interest in Kentucky cornerback
The Washington Commanders continue to evaluate multiple cornerbacks ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.
With a major need at the position, cornerback is in play for the Commanders with their first-round pick at No. 16 overall. The top cornerbacks, Christian Gonzalez [Oregon], Devon Witherspoon [Illinois] and Joey Porter Jr. [Penn State], could all be gone by the time the Commanders choose.
There are other potential first-round cornerbacks, such as Cam Smith [South Carolina], Deonte Banks [Maryland] and DJ Turner [Michigan], but the Commanders are evaluating multiple options throughout the draft.
One such player is Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine. According to Ryan Roberts of Sports Illustrated and RiseNDraft, the Commanders are one of several teams to show an interest in Valentine.
Former #Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine has been generating interest from the NY Jets, LA Rams, LV Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders.
Will be at the Cincinnati Bengals local day this week. Top-30 visits still being finalized.
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) March 30, 2023
Valentine has solid size and is a good athlete with long arms. He is also a two-year starter in the SEC. He is physical and aggressive and not afraid to mix it up in the run game. Valentine was also a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll on multiple occasions. We know Washington head coach Ron Rivera loves smart, versatile players who are strong culture fits, which sounds like Valentine.
If Washington can’t land one of the draft’s top cornerbacks, perhaps selecting Valentine sometime on day two is an option.
