Carrington Valentine Is Establishing the Blueprint For Kalen King

The grind is never more real than seeing a seventh-round pick in the NFL try to climb the ladder. For Carrington Valentine, it happened quicker than expected.

Valentine has laid the foundation and blueprint for fellow seventh-rounder Kalen King. The road isn't the same for both players, but there are overlaps.

Valentine was on the active roster from the jump as a rookie. His path to getting playing time was the result of multiple injuries at cornerback in 2023, but primarily due to Jaire Alexander's absence.

Valentine played all 17 games as a rookie and started in 12. During that first season, he proved his worth, but entering his second season, Valentine was still viewed as a reserve who would see snaps in every game.

In 2024, Valentine started seven games. Again, injuries provided an opportunity for increased playing time.

Entering this year, Valentine is undoubtedly in the top-three cornerbacks on the roster along with Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs. The grind doesn't stop, though. The Packers must navigate whether to play Nixon and Hobbs primarily on the boundary — which would cut into snaps for Valentine — or move one to the slot and let Valentine do his thing on the outside.

This summer, Valentine has looked as hungry as he did as a rookie. He's gobbled up four interceptions, including one on Family Night on a beautiful play by the third-year cornerback, and what he's showing is perfect for all the other young corners on the roster.

Outside of Nixon, Hobbs, and Valentine at corner, the name of the game is inexperienced youth for the Green Bay Packers. Signing Corey Ballentine on Monday alleviated some of that, but the youth movement at the back of the depth chart at cornerback is very real.

King, a seventh-round pick last year out of Penn State, can use what Valentine is doing as a springboard for himself. King had a brilliant 2022 season in Happy Valley. Many had him pegged as a corner who would go in the first two rounds of the draft. Instead, King returned to Penn State in 2023, and the results weren't nearly as promising. When his draft stock plummeted, the Packers were able to get King in the seventh round.

Like Valentine, King was a late-round pick who had shown a lot of promise in college but left some production on the table. Unlike Valentine, King spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad.

This summer, King remained in Green Bay after undergoing wrist surgery and rehabbed there. On Saturday night, he showed the instinctual play he possesses that had the Packers scoop him up in the draft.

Malik Willis was lined up in the shotgun. After looking left, he came back to his right towards wide receiver Julian Hicks, who was running a deep out. When Willis released the ball, King had already made his jump. King bolted in front of Hicks and picked off Willis right in front of the near sideline. It was a tremendous read and a noteworthy play from Saturday's fun.

Those types of plays stick out. They remind many of the King that was seen at Penn State in 2022 and not the cornerback who took a step back in 2023.

Derrick Ansley, Green Bay's defensive passing-game coordinator, has noticed a new King this offseason.

Finding the consistency and locking it in will be crucial for King moving forward.

Valentine has shown the way for someone like King to make the roster and stack together moments that lead to greater opportunities.

It took injuries for Valentine to get his first look in regular-season action as a rookie. He pounced on those moments. Entering Year 3, he's a lock for the roster and a heavy workload after being a seventh-round pick in 2023.

King is entering his second year, grinding for a spot on the 53-man roster. Like Valentine, he can take the little steps by proving what he's got with the opportunities granted in training camp and the preseason. Giving a standout performance on the platform of Family Night is exactly what he needs to do to try to stand out from a cluttered cornerback room on the back end of the depth chart.

Valentine has shown what's possible and what's capable on this team as a seventh-round cornerback. King could be next in line to earn a shot.