2. Carrington Valentine
Like trying to guess how many layers you'll need for a December game at Lambeau, the Packers' cornerback situation remains one of the great mysteries on their roster.
Their biggest free-agent splash in the secondary was signing Nate Hobbs from the Las Vegas Raiders. Hobbs played almost exclusively in the slot during his time in Vegas and thrived there. He’s not afraid to mix it up near the line of scrimmage, willingly stepping into run support and bringing down ball carriers when needed. He also has the quickness to stick with the smaller, shiftier receivers he typically faces inside.
However, Hobbs has the size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) to play outside, which could be an option in Green Bay. With Keisean Nixon also moving to the outside and Jaire Alexander’s future still as murky as a Wisconsin lake in spring thaw, things could get complicated for Carrington Valentine.
Valentine has been a pleasant surprise since being selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was thrown into the fire as a rookie due to injuries in the secondary and held his own. Last year, however, his playing time took a hit as he split snaps with Eric Stokes—who has since swapped places with Hobbs and landed in Vegas.
At this point, Valentine looks like a solid third or fourth cornerback, but Green Bay likely doesn’t want to rely on him as a full-time starter.
If Alexander sticks around, that pushes Valentine even further down the depth chart. Add in Javon Bullard’s role in the slot, and suddenly, Valentine could find himself spending more time on the sideline than he did in Year 1 or 2.
If he wants to change that fate, he’ll need to make some noise this offseason and prove he deserves a bigger role in the Packers' secondary.