Kobe King 2025 NFL Draft Profile
School: Penn State
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt Junior
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Measurements
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 236 pounds
Arm Length: 31 ¼ inches
Hand Size: 9 ½ inches
Pro-Day Results
40-Yard Dash: 4.63 seconds
Three-cone Drill: 7.21 seconds
Bench Press: 26 reps.
2025 NFL Draft: Kobe King Scouting Profile
Kobe King comes into the 2025 NFL Draft as a tough, old-school, throwback linebacker who excels playing in the box, where he plays downhill using his physicality. He is good at taking on blocks and can fill gaps in the running game. He will need to play with better technique to make up for aesthetic limitations, which make him susceptible to missing tackles in the open field and pass coverage. He is a true leader who can handle the green dot responsibilities on Penn State’s defense and was a team captain during the 2024 season.
King was a three-star recruit out of Cass Technical High School and came to Penn State along with his twin brother Kalen, who was a 7th-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played in four games in his redshirt season in 2021 and was a reserve in the 2022 season. King came on in 2023 with 59 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. King followed that up by recording 97 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble, earning Second-Team All-Big Ten Honors in 2024.
Strengths
- Prototypical inside linebacker build and frame.
- He possesses a good awareness of his keys and the action on the field.
- He leverages his fit with a firm base and has powerful hand strikes.
- Takes the correct lanes to the ball carrier.
- Excels at making contact with the ball carrier as they go down on contact.
- He knows his assignments on defense and rarely has mental errors on the field.
- Has played on all four phases of special teams.
Weaknesses
- Lacks lateral agility to get around climbing blocks in pursuit.
- Has trouble with ball carriers when they bounce to the outside due to his lack of short-area quickness.
- Can be susceptible to losing the ball around bigger bodies in the running game.
- He is not a plus player in man coverage in the passing game, especially against in-line tight ends.
NFL Comparison
Chad Muma, Jacksonville Jaguars
Potential Team Fits
Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants.
Draft Projection
Day Three (fourth/fifth round)
Last Word on Kobe King
Kobe King is a player who can fit a role at the next level. He is a former team captain, he is physical, and he also has a high football IQ. He can also play a role as a special teams demon right away. King must find a way to improve his skills in pass coverage for coaches to be able to trust him on the field on third downs. All in all, he will contribute on special teams and will be good against the run, and if he can fix his shortcomings in coverage, then he will be a solid starter in the NFL.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
