Junior Defensive Back Snapped Up in the Seventh Round of the 2023 NFL Draft
Junior defensive back Carrington Valentine was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round (232nd overall pick) on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.
Valentine, who hails from Cincinnati, was a three-year letterwinner and played in 35 career games with 25 straight starting assignments for the Wildcats’ defense. He racked up some impressive stats, including 199 career tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 16 pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
In his junior year, Valentine led UK and ranked ninth in the Southeastern Conference in passes defended with 11 (10 PBU and 1 INT). Over his two seasons as a starter, Kentucky compiled a 17-9 record, with a 10-3 season in 2021, including a win over Iowa in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl. The 2022 season ended with a 7-6 record and a loss to Iowa in the Transperfect Music City Bowl.
Not only was Valentine a force on the field, but he also excelled in the classroom, earning two-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll member status and becoming a two-time member of the Dean’s List. He was also on the 2020-21 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Now, let’s talk about some Kentucky/NFL Draft notes:
- 2023 is the fifth straight year UK has had at least one player taken in the first three rounds.
- Valentine is the 24th player drafted who played under head coach Mark Stoops at Kentucky, with twenty of those selections coming in the last five drafts.
- Valentine is the fifth UK defensive back selected since 2019.
- Seven other Wildcats have been drafted by the Packers’ franchise, including Joe Bailey (1941), Jay Rhodemyre (1948), Jim Howe and Ben Zaranka (1950), Bob Gain (1951), Babe Parilli (1952), and Randall Cobb (2011).
So let’s give it up for Carrington Valentine as he heads to the Green Bay Packers. We can’t wait to see him make big plays and represent Kentucky on the NFL stage. Good luck, Carrington, and go Wildcats!