‘Put it All Together’ How Packers Rising Star Aims to Take Major Step in 2025

Last season, Valentine appeared in 15 games, intercepting two passes while posting 32 tackles but could find himself in the mix for the Packers’ top cornerback job this fall.

“When you go get the ball out the air,” Valentine said, via the team’s official website. “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.”

The Packers’ seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the pressure could be on Valentine to back up his talk about ‘scratching the surface’ as pressure mounts thanks to Alexander’s departure and the significant role strong cornerback play factors into coordinator Jeff Hafley’s system.

At least this spring, though, Valentine appears more than up to the task, according to Packers defensive pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley.

“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.”