King for a Day: Rookie Cornerback Makes Big Splash

Green Bay Packers cornerback Kalen King, the third-to-last pick of this year’s draft, got a major jolt of confidence after intercepting Jordan Love on Sunday at training camp.

Packers CB Kalen King / Courtesy Evan Siegle/Green Bay Packers

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. – For Kalen King, the NFL Draft was a riches-to-rags story.

Could his NFL career be a rags-to-riches story?

It’s obviously far, far too early to project anything one way or the other about King’s NFL story. However, his pick-six against Jordan Love and the starting offense on Sunday at Green Bay Packers training camp was a big deal.

“It only gives me confidence,” King said after practice. “Just me coming in every day, competing with the guys, competing with the vets that are on the team and making plays against them gives me confidence to keep going, keep my head down and keep working.”

King’s draft story was stunning.

Shortly after the 2022 NFL Draft, the draft industrial complex began cranking out 2023 mock drafts. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, one of the best talent evaluators in the business, projected King as the 16th overall pick. After all, King was coming off an All-American season in which he intercepted three passes and finished with 21 passes defensed.

Instead, after a season of zero interceptions and two passes defensed, King was the 255th overall pick in the 257-pick 2024 draft.

“It’s extremely motivating,” King said moments after being drafted. “Not going where you thought you would go, seeing all the names being picked ahead of you, just enduring all that, I felt like it put a chip on my shoulder. A permanent chip on my shoulder that I’ve got to keep there.”

King was a perimeter cornerback at Penn State. With the Packers, he’s been working at cornerback and in the slot. King was in the slot on the interception. With Christian Watson running a post, King jumped in front of Love’s intended target for the interception and raced about 65 yards for the touchdown.

“I was just reading the quarterback, trusting my instincts, seeing the ball and making a play on the ball,” King said.

“I’m really just working to my landmark and just reading Jordan. Wherever his eyes go, that’s where I flow to. I felt quick game, so as soon as I saw him take his hand off the ball, I just broke and I was there to make a play.”

With veteran Corey Ballentine missing the start of camp with a hamstring injury and Robert Rochell missing the last couple days with a calf injury, King spent the first week of training camp mostly playing with the second unit. On the interception, though, he was with the starters against the starters. To his left was cornerback Jaire Alexander; to his right was linebacker Quay Walker.

“I think he’s doing well,” Ballentine said. “He’s learning, obviously, but I think he’s doing well. I think he adds to the group and contributes where he can. He’s going to be good in the future.”

King added a couple more breakups – including a near-interception – during the backups vs. backups 2-minute drill toward the end of practice.

“I felt like after that [the interception], I was starting to get more comfortable and I started to see things quicker and my instincts really kicked in,” King said.

While Keisean Nixon is penciled in as the starter at nickel after manning that spot all last season, there is no clear-cut backup. For now, that’s probably Ballentine, though King is in the mix and second-round safety Javon Bullard has gotten quite a bit of action there, too.

“One thing at nickel, I’m more involved in the perimeter [run game],” King said. “I’m more involved in run fits, I’m more involved in reading linemen, reading the blockers, reading pulls and things of that nature, setting the edge. In that perspective, that’s more like what I’ve been doing. But physically, football is a physical sport. Every time I touch the ball, I’m trying to be as physical as possible.”

From a coverage perspective, the difference is the amount of space. The slot receiver can go left or right with plenty of green grass before hitting the out-of-bounds white.

“There’s definitely more room that I have to guard being in the nickel but I’m taking that challenge,” he said.

Fellow rookie Evan Williams, a safety who picked off his third pass of camp on Sunday, has been impressed by King’s growth.

“He’s getting better every day,” Williams said. “Definitely a guy that’s just learning. He’s obviously got some elite competition in front of him with Ja and Kei and (Eric) Stokes. That whole room is stacked. So, I think he’s doing his best to just learn.

“He had a day today. He had a pick and some PBUs. I just see him taking strides each day, progressing. It’s tough; sometimes our corners get put on islands and that’s just a part of the job, right? But he’s doing his best out there. He’s getting better every day and getting his hands on more balls. I love to see it.”

If King keeps making plays – if he keeps playing with that chip on his shoulder – he could make a push for playing time at cornerback, where neither Stokes nor Carrington Valentine have made a big push through six practices.

So, there’s a vast dichotomy for King with final roster cuts almost exactly one month away. As the third-to-last pick in the draft, King’s roster spot is far from secure. On the other hand, he was the only noteworthy addition at a critical position.

“Of course,” King said when asked if his goal is to win a starting job. “I’m competing for a job. That’s the place that I’m in right now. I feel like I have no room to just take the back road. I’m competing. I feel like nobody’s job is safe. The game of football, especially in the NFL, I feel like nobody’s job is solidified because anything can happen at any moment. The next man up and you’ve got to be ready.

“That’s the thing that I’m harping on right now is continue to stay ready, continue to compete, continue to get better so when my number’s called, I’m ready to perform and ready to step up to the plate.”

More Green Bay Packers Training Camp News

What happened at #Packers training camp today?

A lot.

Here's everything you need to know, including Jordan Love's day, the play of the day, player of the day, highlights, lineup notes and more. ⬇️https://t.co/sDz8tfPxBK

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 28, 2024

Jordan Love’s contract: Impact on the salary cap | The “right stuff” | What Brian Gutekunst said | What Matt LaFleur said | Record-setting extension | I was wrong 

News and analysis: Highlights from Practice 5 | Unsung hero gets new position | Highlights from Practice 4 | “Family” not divas at receiver | Expectations for Kenny Clark include dinner | Unofficial depth chart | Highlights from Practice 3 | Big lineup change | The biggest battle of camp | Young but experienced | Highlights from Practice 2 | Jacob Eason arrives | Big change on depth chart | Highlights from Practice 1