GREEN BAY – The confidence has been always there. Carrington Valentine was practically born with it.
All that was missing was the pick.
The Packers' third-year cornerback came close to securing his first interception on several occasions in his first 30 NFL games (including playoffs) but just hadn't been able to reel one in.
Then, as Green Bay entered a critical stretch near the end of the 2024 season, Valentine found his top form in Week 15 when he picked off Seattle quarterback Geno Smith in the end zone to help preserve an eventual 30-13 win over the Seahawks.
After going nearly two years without an INT dating back to his junior season at Kentucky, Valentine snagged another pick two weeks later in Minnesota to finish his second season on an encouraging note.
"When you go get the ball out the air … and then you start playing at that level, you know that there's some more (out there)," Valentine said. "I felt like it was just scratching the surface. I just feel like going into the offseason, I'm ready to put that all together."
Green Bay is counting on more big plays from Valentine, who's poised to assume more responsibility in the Packers' secondary following Jaire Alexander's release earlier this month.
A seventh-round pick in 2023, Valentine largely served as the next man up to Alexander during his first two NFL seasons, starting 12 games as a rookie after recurring back and shoulder injuries sidelined Alexander.
A hamstring injury hampered Valentine early last year, but he rallied down the stretch to record 22 tackles, four passes defensed, two INTs and two forced fumbles while starting the final eight games (including playoffs).
"He's been extremely coachable, a high-character guy," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "Busts his butt every day, has approached it the right way, so I'm excited for him. He continues to prove the more he plays, the better he gets."
Admittedly, Valentine will miss Alexander, who was a mentor to the 23-year-old cornerback during his first two NFL campaigns. However, he's now reunited with an old friend in new Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs.
As a teenager, Valentine used to drive two hours every day after school to work out with Chris Vaughn at Aspirations Fitness Institution in Louisville.
It just so happened Hobbs, a native of Louisville, also trained there and the two quickly formed a brotherly bond. When Hobbs signed with the Packers in March after four years in Las Vegas, Valentine was one of the first to send a congratulatory text.
Hobbs, true to his jovial form, replied with a cheese emoji.
"I've known Nate since I was 16, so we've been working out together ever since college," Valentine said. "He's a competitor. It's going to be fun to play with him."
After meeting his goal to bulk up last year, Valentine spent this offseason working to distribute mass more evenly to his lower body to increase his power and tackling ability.
The pads don't go on until training camp, but Packers defensive pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley liked what he saw from Valentine during Green Bay's offseason program.
"He's one of my favorites. He plays the game the right way," Ansley said. "The next step is just to make routine plays look like routine plays. He's very strong at the point of attack. He's got good speed. He's tough. Just making those routine plays down in and down out, I think he can take a big jump this year."
When the team returns next month, Valentine is aiming to earn a permanent role in Jeff Hafley's defense rather than waiting until the midway point of the year like he did his first two seasons.
The confidence is there like it's always been. It's just a matter of consistency.
"Obviously when you make plays, your confidence keeps going up in the room," Valentine said. "Sometimes you get humbled a little bit, but you never lose it. It's just a part of you. It's always going to be a part of me. I'm never going to change. I'm always going to be myself."
