Kalen King, CB Penn State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

King was a four-star recruit from Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Mich. in the class of 2021

Penn State’s Kalen King is the best cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft. The junior stands out in a mediocre corner class as one of the position’s true superstars. He will contend for a top 15 selection next spring.

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Kalen King, CB Penn State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior outside cornerback from Detroit, Mich.

Background: King was a four-star recruit from Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Mich. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 222 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 134 for Rivals, and No. 172 for On3.com. King was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He lettered four years in high school. King was a team captain twice and earned All-State, All-Region, All-City, and Detroit Public School League All-Conference selections twice. As a senior, he amassed three interceptions and five passes defensed in a short season. King also scored eight touchdowns on offense. As a junior, he tallied one interception, four passes defensed, and 25 tackles to go along with 13 touchdowns. He helped Cass Technical to an 11-2 record as a sophomore when he forced two fumbles, intercepted a pass, and broke up seven passes. King was part of the team that went 11-3 and won district and regional championships during his freshman season. He also played basketball and ran track in high school.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2022 Third Team All-Big Ten, 2022 Second Team All-Big Ten (Associated Press), 2022 First Team All-Big Ten (PFF), 2022 Third Team All-American (PFF)

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and field goal units, zero penalties committed in 2022, exposure to diverse coverages including press-man, off-man, and zone, fast feet and smooth hips, speed to carry receivers vertically, physical punches in press to derail routes, powerful jams to keep receivers stuck at the line, gets in phase on outside releases and smothers the route, drove Julian Fleming into the sideline (2022), flashes of mirror and match in press-man, succeeded against Charlie Jones (2022) while Joey Porter Jr. struggled, impressive inherent understanding of zone assignments, sorts through switch releases in zone, patient and doesn’t overcommit in zone, excellent vision and awareness in zone, willing to come downhill and challenge screens, competitive taking on blocks

Cons: Enters 2023 with one year of ball production, arm length is good but not elite, lacks elite speed, punches can be timed better, punch accuracy, gives a step to the receiver when his press fails, staying sticky on digs gives him the most difficulty, gets grabby at the top of the stem, learning to negotiate the crowded middle of the field on short crossers, allows too much cushion mid-route as he keeps eyes on the quarterback, instances of allowing too much cushion in zone, beaten over the top in press by Marvin Harrison Jr. (2022), misses some diving tackle attempts, needs to wrap up on tackles

Overview: King enters 2023 with special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and field goal units. Despite his physical playstyle, he finished 2022 without committing a penalty. King gained exposure to a diverse array of coverages at Penn State, including press-man, off-man, and zone as both the boundary and field corner. He has fast feet, smooth hips, and enough speed to carry receivers vertically. His punches in press coverage derail routes but need refinement. King has good but not elite arm length, and his punches are occasionally mistimed and not accurate. His powerful jams keep receivers pinned near the line of scrimmage. King gets in phase on outside releases quickly and proceeds to smother the route. He even drove Ohio State’s Julian Fleming into the sideline (2022). The junior has flashes of mirror and match skills in press-man, but he might be best suited for a zone-based scheme long-term. King succeeded in locking down Purdue All-American Charlie Jones (2022) on most of the plays when the two faced off. King has an impressive inherent understanding of zone assignments for an inexperienced player. He sorts through switch releases in zone with ease. The All-Big Ten selection is patient and doesn’t overcommit. His vision and awareness in zone are excellent. King came downhill and blew up several screen plays in 2022. He’s competitive when taking on blocks. The Michigan native misses some tackles because he doesn’t wrap up or dives too low on the ball carrier. King struggled to press Marvin Harrison Jr. (2022) effectively and was stacked by the All-American. His press coverage needs to improve because he loses a step when his punches fail to slow down the receiver. He doesn’t have elite speed to cover burners. King struggles to stay sticky on digs. That’s the route that gives him the most difficulty. King gets grabby at the top of the stem. He is still learning to negotiate the crowded middle of the field on short crossers. The former four-star recruit allows too much cushion mid-route as he keeps his eyes on the quarterback. He also allows a large cushion in zone sometimes.

Overall, King is an early candidate to be the top cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft and could lock down a top ten selection. King is one of the most well-rounded cornerbacks in the upcoming class and has the tools to survive in most schemes or roles. His consistency and football IQ are rare for a true junior.

Role & Scheme Fit: Scheme versatile boundary corner with a slight lean toward zone

Round Projection: Top 16 Selection

Size: 5'11", 191 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 08-07-23