Rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa had to go full Odell Beckham with a stunning one-handed catch to end the streak.
That's what it took for Carrington Valentine to allow his first touchdown in 630 days. The Green Bay Packers' most underrated cornerback didn't give up a single score in his coverage last season, and it needed something out of this world to change that in Week 1.
When discussing how the Packers can replace All-Pro Jaire Alexander, whom they released in June, the conversation typically begins with Keisean Nixon and free-agent addition Nate Hobbs. We should really be talking about Valentine.
Carrington Valentine continues to prove why he can become the Packers' next CB1
It never bothered Valentine that he fell to the seventh round. You'd never guess, as he plays with such confidence. He loves the competition and is willing to do the selfless work against the run. That also describes Jaire Alexander at his All-Pro best.
That's not to say Valentine necessarily has a Pro Bowl in his imminent future, but he has quietly built an excellent resume with the Packers.
In last week's opener against the Detroit Lions, Valentine earned a PFF coverage grade of 75.8, good for 15th in the NFL. He allowed just one reception — TeSlaa's 13-yard touchdown catch late in the game. And let's be honest: it's hard to fault Valentine on that play. It took a stunning, leaping one-handed reception to beat his tight coverage. TeSlaa will likely never make a better catch in his NFL career.
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Last season, Valentine received an excellent 74.4 PFF coverage grade. It ranked 27th in the NFL, and Alexander was the only Packers cornerback with a better score. For comparison, Keisean Nixon's 60.7 grade was good for only 116th among 219 cornerbacks, while Hobbs finished 102nd with a 61.5 grade.
Per PFF, Valentine allowed just 290 receiving yards and no touchdowns while making two interceptions last season.
The next step for Valentine is to put it all together, improve his consistency, and improve as a run defender. The signs were all there in Week 1 — even when the ball wasn't thrown his way, Valentine showed incredible effort to run to the ball and make a play.
Valentine deserves an opportunity to become the CB1 of this defense. He is consistently excellent in coverage, and if he can take his all-around game to the next level, the Packers may have already found their Alexander replacement.