Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 200 pounds
School: Washington Huskies
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.43 seconds
Bench press: 11 reps
Vertical jump: 39.5 inches (second among cornerbacks)
Three-cone drill: 6.56 seconds (best among cornerbacks)
20-yard shuttle: 3.89 seconds (best at 2017 Combine)
60-yard shuttle: 11.14 seconds (tied for third at 2017 Combine)
Kevin King 2017 NFL Draft Profile
Kevin King came out of high school as a tall and thin safety from Oakland, CA. King was a three-star recruit, who ranked 73rd overall in the state of California. He made his way to Washington, and that is where his football playing career really took off. The first thing the Huskies coaching staff did was move him from safety to cornerback.
It paid off in the long run, but he showed very raw in his first couple of seasons. As a freshman he only appeared in six games, recording 17 tackles. His sophomore season saw a bit more playing time, as he appeared in all 12 games and recorded 64 tackles to go with an interception.
With two years of seasoning under his belt, King was finally ready to make a real impact. He only recorded 39 tackles, but 4.5 went for loss, he forced a fumble and he recorded three interceptions. His senior year saw 44 tackles and two interceptions. Both seasons were good enough to get him named as an honorable All-Pac 12 performer. His senior year saw some highlight reel plays and a trip to the FBS playoffs.
King decline an invite to the Senior Bowl so that he had time to prepare for the NFL combine. That turned out to be a tremendous business decision, as King was one of the biggest winners of the event, testing off of the charts in a variety of the drills. His combine performance had some wondering if he was as good as his teammate Sidney Jones, and an injury to Jones at his Pro Day all but cemented that King will now be the first Washington cornerback drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. How high did King shoot his stock up, and was the combine hype worth it?
Strengths
- Great height and length;
- Above average athleticism;
- Shows a good ability to track the ball in the air;
- Uses his length and speed to break up passes and recover;
- Good hands;
- Makes quick breaks on the ball;
- Former safety with room to grow.
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t have quick feet;
- Struggles against smaller, shifty receivers;
- Average at best against the run;
- Slow off of the ball;
- Can get beat deep due to too much trust in his size and speed to recover;
- Will get caught playing his man and not the ball at times.
NFL Comparison: Sean Smith
Teams with needs at position: Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks
Projection: Second Round
Bottom Line
King was flying under the radar before the combine. Now that he is front and center on everyone’s watch list, he is climbing up draft boards. He still has work to do, and he is definitely a less refined cornerback than his teammate Sidney Jones. Still, his freak athleticism shows on tape, and combined with his great height and length, he is a player who can make a lot of plays with the ball in the air.
However, football is not just all pure athleticism. King needs to have smoother feet and drags, slants, and short area passes can catch him a step behind. He can get shaken off of the line and has a slow reaction that does see him getting burnt by the deep ball as well. Still, when he is a step behind his speed and athleticism to catch up and make clean breaks on the ball shows the greatest.
The upside is tremendous with King, and the flaws in his game can be worked on. His athleticism says first round, but his technical skills say third at the earliest. The best case for King would be to fall right in between in the second round where he has a chance to develop into an NFL starter.
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