2024 Green Bay Packers Round 7 Number 255 Kalen King CB Penn St.

4.61 isn't going to help him.

If you listen to his phone call with the media, this dude is super ready to prove everyone wrong about where he was picked.  It was obvious he was absolutely gutted to go so far down the draft.  Dude is going to have a massive chip on his shoulder when he gets to GB.

You can see why King was so upset he was picked at the end of the 7th.

I predict Bust - because name is too similar as Kevin King

@vitaflo posted:

You can see why King was so upset he was picked at the end of the 7th.

So, another guy who is better than…nvm.

Bro ain’t no 7th rounder 🤷🏾‍♂️ https://t.co/aPvBLcFDGO

— j.reed1💂🏾 (@JaydenReed5) April 27, 2024

Y'all sleepin' on Kalen King😶

— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) April 27, 2024

Here's hoping Kalen is the next 7th rounder out of Penn St. to shine in GB.

@vitaflo posted:

You can see why King was so upset he was picked at the end of the 7th.

Now do 2023.

Hence the fall. He struggled at the Senior Bowl and here's a little of what scouts saw because this was a game everybody was looking at.

He still has a chance, but will need to play a lot cleaner with his lack of make up speed.

So, the question to be answered is: which is the real Kalen King ... the 2022 version or 2023?

PSU is a program who doesn't put chumps in the d backfield. I'm of the opinion that with his great 2022 season, he decided that was good enough, so he stopping working hard and skated through 2023, playing to not get hurt, assuming his payday was coming in the 2024 draft. He's getting a rude awakening on how fleeting fame and success can be if you stop working on your trade.

He said all the right things last night. Now let's see if he can back it up.

Humans....sometimes they need to be challenged to get the best out of them.

If he skated in 2023, waiting for a payday on Day 1 or Day 2 of the draft, he just found out the NFL teams see all. You're not going to "Haha Clinton-Dix" your way through this.

We'll see if he just did a little "growing up". Maturity....it's a thing the Packers help develop. They felt he was good value where he got selected. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been drafted at all.

Green Bay Packers whose second-to-last college season was significantly better than their last:

Jordan Love
Dontayvion Wicks
Jayden Reed
Ty'Ron Hopper
Kalen King

I'm probably missing some. The point is that it all counts. https://t.co/jNesgWp3Ks

— Ross Uglem (@RossUglem) April 28, 2024

In the video @Herschel posted he looks like Ahmad Carroll

https://www.mcall.com/2024/04/...humbling-experience/

@Boris posted:

Humans....sometimes they need to be challenged Green Bay Packers whose second-to-last college season was significantly better than their last:

Jordan Love
Dontayvion Wicks
Jayden Reed
Ty'Ron Hopper
Kalen King

I'm probably missing some. The point is that it all counts. https://t.co/jNesgWp3Ks

— Ross Uglem (@RossUglem) April 28, 2024

One more name. Bret Favre.

@Goalline posted:

One more name. Bret Favre.

King has another example that should also hit close to home. Rasheed Walker at Penn State.  Had a much better season in 2020 vs 2021.  Made his stock fall to the 7th round.  Just like King.

Rasheed has his work cut out for him this training camp. I can't wait to see the competition on the O-Line. I'm stoked!

@Boris posted:

Rasheed has his work cut out for him this training camp. I can't wait to see the competition on the O-Line. I'm stoked!

No doubt, but as a 7th round pick he has been outstanding.  Even if he loses his starting job, he's a good rotational player.  This is what King should be shooting for.

Two comps I had for Penn State's Kalen King

Kalen King 5112 191 4.61/4.55

🔹Casey Hayward 5113 192 4.57
🔹Logan Ryan 5111 191 4.56

Hayward/Ryan both landed on Day 2 with their respective teams - but stylistically, size, usage, testing, projection, etc.. Very similar fits

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) April 29, 2024

@Goalline posted:

One more name. Bret Favre.

That's Burt.  Burt Favre.

I’m wondering if King had some nagging injury in ‘23 that caused his regression?  

Yes. That nagging injury is called "immaturity" - I think our guy did some growing up in the last 48 hours with that 255th selection. (Hat tip to @vitaflo ) 🎩

Y'all sleepin' on Kalen King😶

— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) April 27, 2024

LFGGGGGG https://t.co/NqjxoHJPsg

— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) April 27, 2024

From Dane Brugler at The Athletic

CB26

STRENGTHS: Solid athleticism to maintain his stride on vertical patterns … short -area movements are loose and balanced … steady eyes to sort out route
combinations and switch off receivers in zone … tracks the football well in the air, with the coordination to arrive at the catch point in a timely manner (led the Big Ten in passes defended in 2022) … quick to read run and looks fearless driving downhill … tenacious mentality to mug receiver s, get off blocks or unload at the catch point to dislodge the football … has developed the relentless self-confidence to bounce back from negative reps … described as “super competitive” and “coachable” by Penn State head coach James Franklin … experienced on kick and punt coverages (222 special -teams snaps).

WEAKNESSES: Average-framed and will have a tough time matching NFL size and strength … below-average top-end speed and lacks a secondary burst when the ball is in the air (his 1.95 “flying 20” was the worst among all cornerbacks who ran the 40 -yard dash at the combine) … his jam technique is wild and unrefined … too reactive in coverage and needs to develop his route anticipation…overaggressive tendencies lead to excessive contact (calle d for pass interference or holding three times in 2023) … inconsistent sink and technique as a tackler, especially in space … ball carriers have no trouble running through his arm tackles … limited experience as a slot defender … disappointing 2023 season, as he struggled against the best opponents on his schedule (Ohio State, Maryl and, Michigan).

SUMMARY: A two-year starter, King was an outside cornerback in former Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s split-coverage scheme. He put himself on the NFL radar with a standout 2022 season (No. 3 in the FBS with 21 passes defended) and looked like a futu re first-round pick. However, cornerback is a volatile position, and King’s 2023 tape exemplified that. He managed just two passes defended in his final college season (although, h e saw fewer targets) and struggled against the top opponents on his schedule, most notably in a tough matchup again Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. Growing up with a twin who shared the same passion for football meant King had a lifelong competitor, which helped develop his tenacity and toughness. Though he is a sp ringy athlete, his twitch can be negated by below-average long speed and underdeveloped route anticipation versus savvy receivers. Overall, King is a fluid athlete with the aggressive play personality desired for the position, but his inconsistent tackling, coverage spacing and feel for when to take chances will continue to result in volatility in his game. He is viewed as a possible safety candidate by several NFL teams.

Kalen King might be our best draft pick if GB can restore his confidence. Here's what PFF was saying about him a year ago.

Pro Football Focus had King going 15th overall in their way-too-early 2024 NFL mock draft, published on May 1, 2023. "Even on a team with Joey Porter Jr., King was the true star in Penn State's secondary," wrote
PFF's Max Chadwick. "He led all corners in the country with a 93.3 grade and 18.3 passer rating allowed in single-coverage."

I don't get his speed stats.  He has a 4.61 on record and there are scout comments referencing him not being able to stay with faster receivers. 

Was he faster in 2022?  Did he have some kind of limitation when he ran his 40?  Were offenses unprepared for him as a SO then realized they could attack his lack of speed in 2023? 

Something doesn't add up there.  At best maybe he plays faster than he tests?

@DH13 posted:

I don't get his speed stats.  He has a 4.61 on record and there are scout comments referencing him not being able to stay with faster receivers.

Was he faster in 2022?  Did he have some kind of limitation when he ran his 40?  Were offenses unprepared for him as a SO then realized they could attack his lack of speed in 2023?

Something doesn't add up there.  At best maybe he plays faster than he tests?

Marvin Harrison Jr. destroyed him in the OSU-Penn State game this year. I think that contributed to his free fall. A lot of how you interpret that depends on what you really think of Marvin Harrison Jr's NFL future.

If he's the next Calvin Johnson and basically unguardable in single man coverage in the NFL, then it wouldn't be surprising that even a solid future NFL CB would struggle in single man coverage (especially when the OSU offensive line consists of a bunch of future NFL players that give a lot of time for the QB to go through progressions).

If Harrison Jr. is more like a Peter Warrick or Sammy Watkins  (high first round picks who had great college stats but were basically just average in the NFL), then King getting roasted by him in that game is an indication he's going to struggle against everyone.

Also, running a 4.61 40 probably sealed the deal in everyone's eyes.

@DH13 posted:

Something doesn't add up there.

They asked BG about King's free fall in his post draft presser and Gute didn't have an answer for why this happened. At least not one that he was willing to share. But the dude got passed over 230 times and 10 of those were the Packers

I've read elsewhere that his entire pre-draft process was just really poor and perhaps that lends some credibility to MP2's comments above. Maybe his head just wasn't right after he recovered from the 3rd degree burns on national TV. Maybe his agent is a dumbass and didn't get him trained up properly ?

I'm guessing there's little chance King would have chosen GB as his preferred UDFA locale, so dropping pick # 255 on him says the Packers are buying that lottery ticket to secure the small chance of cashing it in.

Gute is probably still drunk with excitement after doing something similar with another free-falling Nittany Lion, Rasheed Walker. ( pick #249)

Good Luck to Kalen

edited to add:

"King was one of only a few players to be tracked at over 20.5 mph during the Senior Bowl practices. That was probably the brightest spot of his draft process."

It seems the freefall was already in motion before they played OSU.

That's a great nugget from the senior bowl but without much context.  Maybe there were others there that could have run faster but were never in a position to have to do so.  And even after some research, I'm not sure where 20mph puts him wrt other CBs or WR's in the NFL.  Top 10 are in the low 22/high 21's.

So does that make him a better prospect for safety?

One of the scout write ups posted here suggested he may be a better fit at S.

Gute's doing the safety dance.

I loved this pick.  Very low risk with a 7th round invested in him and an opportunity for the defensive staff to get him back into his previous form.  

Elk Bong will be thrilled to know the Packers got a comp pick from losing his hero Lowry (!) and used it to snatch Kalen King.

Thx Dean

@Satori posted:

...

edited to add:

"King was one of only a few players to be tracked at over 20.5 mph during the Senior Bowl practices. That was probably the brightest spot of his draft process."

Great that he can sprint at 20.5 mph in game gear, but not so much if it happens when he is trailing a WR into the end zone.

Unless that WR runs 18MPH or less 😁

This isn't 2018 so I don't think he'll see thank kind of speed in practice.

@DH13 posted:

That's a great nugget from the senior bowl but without much context.

I got yer context right eer...

( pro tip: do not search google for crotch grab images)

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/...cts-2024-senior-bowl

Cornerback MPH*

22.17- Carlton Johnson, Fresno State 5’ 10 7/8” 169 lb.

21.34- Kris Abrams-Draine (4th) Mizzou 5’ 11 3/8” 173 lb.

21.04- DJ James (3rd) Auburn 5’ 11 5/8” 170 lb.

20.96- Max Melton (2nd) Rutgers 5’ 11” 193 lb.

20.75- Johnny Dixon (5th) Penn State 5’ 11 192 lb.

20.57- Kalen King (1st) Penn State 5’ 11” 189 lb.

20.56- Nehemiah Pritchett (4th) Auburn 6’ 1/8” 188 lb.

20.30- Cam Hart (5th) Notre Dame 6’ 2 7/8” 204 lb.

20.08- Quinyon Mitchell (2nd) Toledo 6’ 3/8” 195 lb.

20.07- Elijah Jones, Boston College 6’ 1 3/4” 169 lb.

20.07- Andru Phillips (6th) Kentucky 5’ 10 1/2” 191 lb.

* Other positions are listed in the link and only 2 of the WRs at Senior Bowl were faster than Kalen King.

Ricky Pearsall wasn't one of them. (Don't tell IC)

I'm wondering if the reason King fell is that Porter Jr. was gone last year and that exposed King's weaknesses. Porter Jr. took on the other teams' No. 1, leaving King on lower-level WRs; in 2023 year, King was on those 1s and did not look good. That tape of King on Harrison showed some poor technique at times, in addition to how good Harrison is. If King's success in 2022 was due to Porter Jr., then King better be a special teams demon if he wants to stick in the NFL.

https://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/...m-for-kalen-king-551

He signed his contract today.

Si has an article here with comments from King's coach at Penn State

https://www.si.com/nfl/packers...d-robin-01hyc59yn4a3

Many coaches say, " If he can do it once, he can do it again" and then they work on consistency. This coach brings up the batman-robin analogy and perhaps that offers a little insight into Kings' 2023 performance. We shall see

Pulling for this guy to rise from the ashes...would solidify the CB room.