There is no other way to put it: Carrington Valentine has been the Green Bay Packers’ best cornerback this season. Sure, the unit doesn’t inspire much confidence, but it’s still astonishing how often he split reps with Nate Hobbs even though Valentine is the team’s most productive corner whenever he’s on the field.
Valentine played a total of 126 defensive snaps in the first two weeks of the season. He started alongside Keisean Nixon in Week 1, then split reps with Nate Hobbs in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders. In those two games, he was in coverage for 77 snaps and allowed just two catches for 20 yards — only 0.26 yards per snap. Despite that efficiency, he only played 99 defensive snaps over the following four weeks.
The 24-year-old cornerback was back in the starting lineup on Sunday Night Football in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers after they benched Hobbs. However, he only played 62 defensive snaps on that Sunday night, followed by 43 against the Carolina Panthers.
“CV got an opportunity, and he went out there, and I thought he played really competitively the entire game,” LaFleur said about Valentine’s performance against Pittsburgh. “I know even on the touchdown catch, I just loved how he competed for the football. I thought that was big time, and it didn’t go our way in that moment, but I thought, all in all, he showed physicality. He was challenging guys. There were just no gimmies.”
Then, Carrington Valentine entered a hot stretch, which started against the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to Pro Football Focus, Valentine allowed just two catches on eight targets for 15 yards over the past two weeks. NFL Pro’s data backs it up as well: Among 69 qualifying cornerbacks, using Hobbs’ snap count as the baseline, Valentine ranks 20th with 0.85 receiving yards allowed per coverage snap. Nixon comes in at 1.01 (34th), while Hobbs sits at 1.32 (56th).
Entering Week 12, Valentine leads all Green Bay cornerbacks in coverage grade, fewest receiving yards allowed, and lowest completion percentage allowed. His numbers hold up league-wide, too. He ranks eighth in coverage grade among all qualified cornerbacks, and he’s 13th out of 132 corners with at least 100 defensive snaps in lowest completion percentage allowed. He’s also fifth in coverage grade among cornerbacks with at least 100 coverage snaps, while Keisean Nixon sits at 30th and Nate Hobbs at 93rd.
Carrington Valentine is also Green Bay’s best cornerback in man coverage, by a wide margin. He owns an 86.3 grade in man, the fifth-highest mark in the entire league. For context, Hobbs sits at 64.1 (39th), while Nixon is at 39.0 (159th). Moreover, he has allowed the sixth-lowest completion rate in man among cornerbacks with at least 100 coverage snaps and tied for third in lowest passer rating allowed.
Such a level of play shouldn’t come as a surprise. Last year, Valentine became the only Packers cornerback in the last 11 years to record 250-plus coverage snaps without giving up a touchdown all season. In 2023, he allowed just a 55.6% completion rate when targeted — the third-best mark among rookie corners with at least 250 coverage snaps.
There’s no reason for him to spend another snap on the bench this season. He’s their best cornerback and brings more upside than both Hobbs and Nixon. The Packers didn’t pay Hobbs $48 million to watch from the sideline. Still, with Nixon holding the CB1 role all year, Hobbs may have to earn his job back when he returns. Carrington Valentine has earned his spot in the starting lineup.