Tag: Carrington Valentine

Commanders recently met with a pair of Kentucky defensive backs

Washington continues to explore cornerback options ahead of the NFL draft.

You can’t say the Washington Commanders haven’t done their due diligence for secondary help ahead of next week’s 2023 NFL draft.

The Commanders have hosted multiple cornerbacks on top 30 visits, had virtual meetings, formal combine sessions and meetings at the Senior Bowl with multiple draft-eligible defensive backs.

You can add two more recent meetings to Washington’s pre-draft list. A pair of University of Kentucky defensive backs, Carrington Valentine [virtual] and Keidron Smith [top 30 visit], met with the Commanders.

Valentine has intriguing talent. He has decent size and length, in addition to athleticism. There are concerns, as he’s not been very good in run support, and his game is still raw. Valentine should go somewhere in the fourth round or later.

The Commanders also hosted Valentine’s teammate, Keidron Smith, recently.

Smith continues the trend of big cornerbacks Washington has met with. At 6-foot-2, Smith is long and has plenty of experience playing in man and zone schemes, which will make Washington’s coaches happy. Before transferring to Kentucky, Smith played four seasons at Ole Miss.

Both Kentucky cornerbacks would be good additions on day three of the NFL draft.

Kentucky CB Carrington Valentine had virtual meeting with Cardinals

Valentine is a 6-foot cornerback with speed. He has met virtually with at least six teams, including the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals, like all NFL teams, have been taking weeks of player evaluations for the 2023 NFL draft. That includes visiting with individual players, whether it is at their school, at the combine, hosting or meeting with them virtually.

One player the Cardinals have met with virtually is Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine.

Valentine told Justin Melo of The Draft Network that he had met virtually with six teams, including the Cardinals.

Valentine is 6 feet tall and weighed 193 pounds at the combine. He posted a 39-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot-8 broad jump. He ran the 40 at his pro day in 4.38 seconds. While he only posted 9 bench press reps of 225 pounds, he has added 13 pounds of muscle in predraft training.

He had an interception and 10 pass breakups last season for Kentucky, in addition to 48 tackles, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Playing in the SEC, there is plenty of tape of him having to guard some of the best receivers in the nation.

He has great athletic traits but probably will be, at the earliest, someone who gets drafted on Day 3.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Bengals hosted Kentucky CB Carrington Valentine on pre-draft visit

Bengals keeping an eye on local prospects at positions of need.

The Cincinnati Bengals have eyes on a local prospect ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, the Bengals had an in-person visit with Kentucky Wildcats cornerback Carrington Valentine.

Valentine, 6’0″ and 193 pounds, projects nicely as a man-coverage defender who might be able to line up against bigger threats like tight ends, similar to how the team used Tre Flowers, who remains a free agent.

Cincinnati attacking cornerback in the draft isn’t a new theory by any means. Even after signing Sidney Jones, Eli Apple is still a free agent and depth going into the opener remains a concern.

When the draft rolls around, the Bengals might just keep it local to fix some of the depth concerns.

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Commanders showing interest in Kentucky cornerback

Carrington Valentine’s stock is on the rise.

The Washington Commanders continue to evaluate multiple cornerbacks ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

With a major need at the position, cornerback is in play for the Commanders with their first-round pick at No. 16 overall. The top cornerbacks, Christian Gonzalez [Oregon], Devon Witherspoon [Illinois] and Joey Porter Jr. [Penn State], could all be gone by the time the Commanders choose.

There are other potential first-round cornerbacks, such as Cam Smith [South Carolina], Deonte Banks [Maryland] and DJ Turner [Michigan], but the Commanders are evaluating multiple options throughout the draft.

One such player is Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine. According to Ryan Roberts of Sports Illustrated and RiseNDraft, the Commanders are one of several teams to show an interest in Valentine.

Valentine has solid size and is a good athlete with long arms. He is also a two-year starter in the SEC. He is physical and aggressive and not afraid to mix it up in the run game. Valentine was also a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll on multiple occasions. We know Washington head coach Ron Rivera loves smart, versatile players who are strong culture fits, which sounds like Valentine.

If Washington can’t land one of the draft’s top cornerbacks, perhaps selecting Valentine sometime on day two is an option.

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