Carrington Valentine, the former seventh-round pick, faces a defining half-season stretch to secure his starting role before high-upside rookie Brandon Cisse inevitably challenges him.
If Carrington Valentine wants to truly put his stamp on the Green Bay Packers in 2026 and beyond, he's going to have a short window of time to make an impact and prove he belongs.
He's always has an uphill climb ahead of him. That's just life in the NFL for a seventh-round pick.
The Packers selected Valentine out of Kentucky with the No. 232 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was drafted as a depth player and to potentially compete because of his upside.
To be fair to him, he has far outkicked his coverage compared to the average seventh-round pick.
In fact, as the Packers head into the 2026 season, Valentine is expected to be the starting boundary cornerback alongside Keisean Nixon.
Should he be the starter? Most analysts would tell you that going into a season with Super Bowl expectations and having to rely on Valentine to make big plays is more than likely a fool's errand.
That said, let's give Valentine some credit. He's played in 49 games over the past three seasons with 30 starts. Again, that's one heck of a run for a seventh-round pick.
Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine (24) during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.The fact that he's a starter for a wannabe Super Bowl contender says more about the Packers' weakness at cornerback than his talents, though, which is why general manager Brian Gutekunst went out with pick No. 52 in this past NFL Draft and selected South Carolina Gamecocks cornerback Brandon Cisse.
Cisse has the athleticism and speed to be a true CB1 in the NFL. Asking for CB1 production out of a rookie is unwise, but at the very least, the Packers head into 2026 knowing that they'd eventually like Cisse to step up and become "the guy" for them at corner.
That's why Matt Schneidman of The Athletic believes Valentine is under pressure heading into this season. He recently made a ranking of the 10 Packers under the most pressure heading into the 2026 season, and Valentine checked in at No. 5.
The reason why? Cisse could be coming for his job sooner rather than later.
"Valentine has exceeded expectations as a seventh-round pick in 2023, but second-round rookie cornerback Cisse will be breathing down his neck starting on Wednesday," Schneidman wrote before the start of OTAs. "Gutekunst was complimentary of his starting cornerback duo this offseason, but we’ve learned to take everything the GM says publicly with a grain of salt after the Aaron Jones and McManus releases. Valentine, who turns 25 in September, has extra pressure to perform and stave off Cisse because Valentine’s in a contract year."
Again, it will take some time for Cisse to get his legs under him at the NFL level. He'll be able to see the field as a sub and perhaps in certain packages because of his athleticism and talent alone. Knowing how to play cornerback in the NFL takes time, though, so let's not expect anything real out if Cisse until at least November of this season.
Hypothetically, that gives Valentine eight games to prove that he belongs. If he struggles, he could get yanked before that. Remember, the Packers signed cornerback Benjamin St-Juste this offseason as well. He's expected to be more of a special teams contributor and backup, but he could get called in to start on the boundary if Valentine struggles.
Without a doubt, though, the Packers would like to get Cisse out there sooner rather than later, so either way, Valentine is going to have to be looking over his shoulder.
Competition breeds competency, so this is a good problem the Packers. Valentine may not feel that way, though.
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