The Green Bay Packers had one defensive issue to address this offseason. Their cornerback room has lacked firepower since prime Jaire Alexander, and while they didn't make a big splash to solve that problem, they did bring in some new faces.
Nate Hobbs lost his starting job, but Carrington Valentine didn't do much better. While he held opposing quarterbacks to roughly a 54 percent completion rate, he gave up a whopping six touchdowns.
That's why the Packers rolled the dice on a high-upside and somewhat overlooked backup in Benjamin St-Juste. And now that he's ready to roll for training camp, it wouldn't be shocking to see him climb his way up in the pecking order.
Benjamin St-Juste might be the Packers' best choice at cornerback
Valentine doesn't bring much to the table. He only plays in the boundary and can't provide depth in the slot. He doesn't play special teams, and his inability to finish plays and constant missed tackles often led to big gains.
St-Juste isn't necessarily the flashiest player, but he's an oversized, speedy cornerback who rarely makes mistakes. Perhaps he won't win the Packers a ton of games, but he definitely won't lose them many, either.
The Packers should also have some doubts about Keisean Nixon. He wasn't too eager to play special teams anymore last season, and he wasn't much of a shutdown corner in the outside or in the slot, either. Still, he was better than Valentine.
It should be just a matter of time before second-round pick Brandon Cisse ultimately gets a hold of the CB1 job. However, given how slowly the Packers take things with their youngsters, it might take a year or two for that prediction to become a reality.
The mere fact that they drafted a cornerback with their first pick of the draft speaks volumes about their feelings for Valentine. He caught some slack because there wasn't anyone better for the job last season, but that won't be the case with Valentine in town.
The former Los Angeles Chargers cornerback bounced back in Jesse Minter's system after a somewhat disappointing tenure with the Washington Commanders, and he held opposing quarterbacks to a 68.3 passer rating and a 53.5 completion percentage, giving up just one touchdown.
The bar isn't particularly high, and while some friendly competition could also bring out the best in Valentine, St-Juste has a clear path to bump him down in the pecking order and be this team's solution opposite Nixon in Week 1. As for Valentine, releasing him would save the Packers $3.6 million, per Over The Cap, so that should be an easy decision.
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