What a difference a year makes. Following his sophomore season at Penn State, cornerback Kalen King looked like a surefire first-round NFL draft pick. However, after a somewhat disappointing 2023 camping, the defender fell all the way to pick No. 255 in the seventh round. While that stinks for King, who would have made millions more in guaranteed money had he gone 48 hours earlier, it may be a huge boon for the Green Bay Packers.
“Honestly, I think they may have gotten the biggest steal of the draft,” Penn State's assistant coach Terry Smith told ESPN Packer beat reporter Rob Demovsky.
That is a bold claim and surely (at least a little bit of) a homer pick, but it doesn’t mean Smith is wrong.
Opposite Joey Porter Jr. in 2022, King was third in the country with 21 passes defended and had three interceptions and a forced fumble. It is why several outlets proclaimed the cover man as potentially the best corner in the 2024 NFL Draft class and almost assuredly a first-round selection.
However, in 2023 as CB1 for the Nittany Lions, King had just two passes defended and no INTs or FFs. Since King’s draft projections were based more on his technical abilities and production than explosive athleticism, his lack of noticeable statistics last season pushed him way down draft boards.
So, while King didn’t have the same obvious impact last season, he also didn’t give up a single touchdown to a player he covered, which as a CB1 is an accomplishment in and of itself.
Maybe all this means that King is more suited for a supporting instead of a starring role, which is what he’ll have on the Packers with cornerbacks Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine, Keisean Nixon, and Corey Ballentine already on the roster.
And if the Packers did, in fact, find the “biggest steal of the draft,” it could really put a bow on an intriguing 2024 NFL Draft class.
Kalen King and the Packers’ 2024 NFL Draft class
The Packers made 11 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft, which was tied for the most of any team along with the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams.
Green Bay’s draft haul included Arizona OT Jordan Morgan, Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper, Georgia S Javon Bullard, USC RB MarShawn Lloyd, Missouri LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Oregon S Evan Williams, Duke OT Jacob Monk, Oregon State S Kitan Oladapo, Georgia State OT Travis Glover, Tulane QB Michael Pratt, and of course Penn State CB Kalen King.
Looking at this group, it is clear that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst believes that the offensive line and defensive back seven are by far the biggest needs on the team. Lloyd and Pratt are the only players drafted who don’t fall in those buckets.
It’s an interesting philosophy and one that could go either way for the Packers. Yes, by doubling and even tripling up at times on positions of need, they should be almost guaranteed to get stronger at those spots.
But at what cost?
The Packers likely passed on some more highly-ranked players at receiver and along the defensive line at their picks. While these units are relatively strong, all teams could always use more depth or more talent at these premium positions.
All that said, if the Packers did indeed get a draft-day steal with Kalen King in the seventh round, that can make any draft class look a whole lot better.
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