4 standouts and 1 dud from Packers first joint practice with Patriots
Standout: Carrington Valentine
Yet again, Carrington Valentine was a standout at practice.
He has been so good, in fact, that Matt LaFleur would even consider moving Rasul Douglas to safety to get Valentine more opportunities.
Matt LaFleur said that the Packers are looking at everything — including swapping Rasul Douglas to safety — in order to get Carrington Valentine on the field. That says a lot about what he’s shown so far that they’re willing to alter their defensive backfield just to include him.
— zach jacobson (@itszacharyj) August 16, 2023
Talk about high praise for the rookie cornerback. But it's well deserved. Valentine has made plays at just about every practice, including on Wednesday against the Patriots.
Valentine spent a lot of time with the first-team defense while Jaire Alexander was out with injury. And based on the way LaFleur spoke about him, it may not be long before he is permanently a starter. Absolutely incredible for a rookie seventh-round selection.
Standout: Karl Brooks
Another late-round pick who continues to impress is defensive tackle Karl Brooks.
"Karl Brooks is constantly in the backfield. Think they got something there," writes Aaron Nagler of Cheesehead TV.
Paul Bretl of Packers Wire noted that Brooks made two pressures during the Patriots' two-minute drill. The rookie can't stop making plays, and he is going to have a significant role to play this season, even if he isn't part of the starting defense.
The Packers made a point of getting younger this offseason, so it's exciting that rookies like Brooks and Valentine are consistently standing out at training camp.
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