What Packers fans need to know about 7th-round NFL Draft pick Carrington Valentine

The Green Bay Packers selected Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine with the 232nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Packers fans, here is what you need to know about the seventh-round pick.

How Carrington Valentine played at Kentucky

In three seasons at Kentucky, Valentine totaled 118 tackles with 16 passes defended and one interception. He left school a year early to declare for the draft after totaling 48 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, 10 passes defended and one interception as a junior.

Valentine started the final 24 games of his college career before opting out of Kentucky’s bowl game to begin preparing for the draft. That extra draft prep time translated into a significant body transformation and strong showing at Kentucky’s pro day.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Valentine as the 69th-best prospect in the 2023 draft class and the fifth-best available player entering day three.

What Kentucky coaches said about Carrington Valentine

“He has really taken a step this year. … He is confident, as he should with progressing. I felt like he is stronger, playing much stronger as well. He is winning those competitive matchups and he’s winning his fair share. If he gets beat … came right back and made a huge play. That’s his competitive nature.” — Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops

Kentucky has had recent success in developing defensive backs for the NFL

Valentine is the fifth defensive back drafted from Kentucky since 2019, joining Saints cornerback Lonnie Johnson (second round, 2019), Chiefs safety Mike Edwards (third round, 2019), Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph (second round, 2021) and Jets cornerback Brandin Echols (sixth round, 2021).

A longtime defensive backs coach, Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White, who came to Kentucky from the Indianapolis Colts, have turned the secondary into an annual strength. Keidron Smith, who started opposite Valentine at the other cornerback position for Kentucky 2022, is considered a possible day three draft pick as well.

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