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Kalen King NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Penn State CB

BR NFL Scouting Department

HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 189

HAND: 8 5/8"

ARM: 30 3/8"

WINGSPAN: 74 3/4"

40-YARD DASH: 4.61

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: 4.16

VERTICAL: 37"

BROAD: 10'2"

POSITIVES

— Good play recognition. Quickly able to identify pass or run and quickly reacts to what he sees. Has the vision to see the entire field and does a good job of playing his leverage.

— Fluid in press coverage at the line of scrimmage. Able to stay square and mirror releases with the proper leverage. Shows good lateral movement and quick reaction to releases.

— Very good athlete who does a good job of sinking his hips to get out of breaks and has very good speed to run with most receivers he faces.

NEGATIVES

— Inconsistent tackler who often dives at legs and doesn't always wrap up.

— Lacks the desired strength for size and position. Can get overpowered at times and struggles to fight through bigger receivers to contest catches.

2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 29 TOT, 1.5 TFL, 2 PD

NOTES

— Born Jan. 28, 2003

— 22 career starts

— 4 Star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— 2023: Second-team All-Big Ten, preseason first-team All-American (AP)

— 2022: Second-team All-America (Walter Camp)

— 2022: Third-team All Big-Ten (Coaches, Media)

OVERALL

As a freshman at Penn State, Kalen King played in 13 games with one start. He was highly productive the following season with 21 pass breakups, which garnered him a lot of attention. However, he wasn't able to match that production in the 2023 season. He actually dipped below his on-ball production from his freshman season.

King has average height and size for an NFL cornerback. He has the speed and movement skills to be a good NFL player, but he will need to continue to improve his functional strength to be able to combat bigger and more physical receivers.

King does a very good job of sinking his hips to match breaks, but there are times where his high pad level causes him to allow separation at the top of routes. He shows the ball skills necessary to track and use the correct timing to break up passes, but he's rarely in position to capitalize on turnovers.

As a run defender, King does a good job of play recognition along with quickly reacting. He often uses his speed and agility to beat blocks in space. There are times in which he gets stoned and washed away by bigger blockers due to his below-average strength.

As a tackler, King is more than willing. He often flies up to throw his body at the legs of a ball-carrier. His inconsistency wrapping up can make him a questionable tackler at times, but his overall willingness to be a versatile run defender and blitzer gives him room for improvement in this facet of the game.

After the explosive numbers he put up during the 2022 season, King was perceived as one of the top cornerbacks in this year's draft. Although he's still among the better part of the cornerback group, his stock has leveled out a bit to the Day 2 range. He has the potential to be an NFL starter a few years into his career.

GRADE: 6.1 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 155

POSITION RANK: CB20

PRO COMPARISON: David Long

Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

   

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