Kalen King Disappoints on Game Film

Penn State cornerback Kalen King is dropping on my draft board due to the 12 games I’ve studied in 2022 and 2023.

If you don’t believe me, turn on this past season’s game against Ohio State.

…And where there’s smoke there’s fire. Game after game King’s stiff hips showed up.

Another clear indication can be found in my notes from studying King in 2023. I had barely anything in the positive column and the neutral and negative columns are full in pass coverage situations.

I’m not making this stuff up.

Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), King has participated in 626 coverage snaps the past two seasons and he’s been targeted 100 times, and given up 52 receptions for the Nittany Lions. That means receivers are catching a little over half of what’s thrown his direction (and that’s at the college level). Now, we are projecting him to go up to an even higher level of competition and do what? Do better?

That’s not realistic.

He looked way worse to me on his 2023 game film than in 2022 and again, PFF confirms that. In 2022, he surrendered a passer rating of 48.9, but that number jumped to 82.4 this past season.

why?

More cushion given

I couldn’t tell if King’s hips had become tighter or not. However, I could see he seemed to be giving up more cushion to receivers on his 2023 film. Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. made a mockery of his coverage. Whether he was trying harder to ‘bend and not break,’ or his hips had indeed become worse, it wasn’t pretty. His coverage wasn’t even close in too many one-on-one situations.

King looked like an after-the-fact defender.

What does that mean?

These are the types who are always arriving at the scene after the catch and after the damage has been done. King’s lack of ‘playmaking’ ability is further confirmed by his stats. No, I am not a ‘stats scout,’ but stats can serve a role in cross-checking film analysis. In 2023 (10 games), King logged zero interceptions and two passes defended.

Translation?

This guy isn’t making many plays on the ball.

Did he look good doing anything?

King is best at covering straight-line routes that do not deviate in direction. Despite running an official 4.61 (40-yard dash) at the NFL Scouting Combine, he appears faster than that in terms of ‘football speed,’ and did a decent job staying in phase on raw vertical and horizontal routes.

That’s clear in my notes…

The ability to cover straight-line routes well.

He was also decent at coming downhill on screens and providing support.

Where does that leave King?

NFL career ceiling as a nickel with special teams value.

What about King at safety?

No.

Why not?

He is an inconsistent tackler on film who gets blocked out too easily, and sometimes overruns lanes and because of that hip tightness, he is below average at adjusting in space.

Having an inconsistent tackler at safety (the last line of defense) is like having a car with three good tires.

#4 Kalen King 5-foot-11, 191 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 NFL Draft Grade: Fifth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by 38.2% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of March 9, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

If Only Cornerback Kalen King Wasn’t Stiff in the Hips (6 games evaluated)

2023 game film reviewed: Michigan, West Virginia, Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa, and Michigan State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2023 stats: 29 tackles (20 solo), and 9 assists

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Tough scrappy corner with speed and agility limitations. Competitive in press and off-man, but not dominant. The inability to match breakpoints results in defensive liability. Can be late reacting or can get out of control. Yielded large throwing windows. Attempted to compensate by getting in the way or with physicality. Has natural straight-line acceleration, but no short-area burst or enough juice to recover long-range. Inconsistent providing pass and run support. Tendency to come in high or attempts to hit low.

Final words

King doesn’t move the meter.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, contributes at Yardbarker, and has written for Sports Illustrated Lions, Jets, and 49ers, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.