Carrington Valentine aims to put it all together this season

Admittedly, Valentine will miss Alexander, who was a mentor to the 23-year-old cornerback during his first two NFL campaigns. However, he’s now reunited with an old friend in new Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs.

As a teenager, Valentine used to drive two hours every day after school to work out with Chris Vaughn at Aspirations Fitness Institution in Louisville.

It just so happened Hobbs, a native of Louisville, also trained there and the two quickly formed a brotherly bond. When Hobbs signed with the Packers in March after four years in Las Vegas, Valentine was one of the first to send a congratulatory text.

Hobbs, true to his jovial form, replied with a cheese emoji.

“I’ve known Nate since I was 16, so we’ve been working out together ever since college,” Valentine said. “He’s a competitor. It’s going to be fun to play with him.”

After meeting his goal to bulk up last year, Valentine spent this offseason working to distribute mass more evenly to his lower body to increase his power and tackling ability.

The pads don’t go on until training camp, but Packers defensive pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley liked what he saw from Valentine during Green Bay’s offseason program.

“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.”

When the team returns next month, Valentine is aiming to earn a permanent role in Jeff Hafley’s defense rather than waiting until the midway point of the year like he did his first two seasons.

The confidence is there like it’s always been. It’s just a matter of consistency.

“Obviously when you make plays, your confidence keeps going up in the room,” Valentine said. “Sometimes you get humbled a little bit, but you never lose it. It’s just a part of you. It’s always going to be a part of me. I’m never going to change. I’m always going to be myself.”