Kalen King’s Wild Ride Should End In A Roster Spot

Going from a projected first-round pick to nearly being undrafted in a two-year span had to be jarring for Green Bay Packers cornerback Kalen King.

When King finally heard his name called in the seventh round of the 2024 draft, 35 other cornerbacks had already been selected. Instead of sulking after spending his rookie season on the practice squad, King hit the ground running this offseason. And he's done what it takes to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster.

King put a bow on his preseason by diving in to recover a fumble against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. It capped what was an impressive summer for the second-year player out of Penn State, and one in which there was plenty of change.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has been trying King out in the slot, a change from his normal spot out on the boundary. King has embraced it and has shown comfort in learning a new role.

Change was the theme for King this offseason as he noted earlier in the summer an array of things he was doing differently.

It's clearly paying off.

Green Bay's cornerback room has its share of question marks. Bo Melton will likely make it to the final 53, but do the Packers trust him to hit the field in a new position immediately? We know Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine are the top three cornerbacks, but will Hobbs even be ready for the start of the regular season?

Then there's King and a host of other options like Kamal Hadden, Micah Robinson, and Corey Ballentine. An uneven training camp or preseason could've sunk King's chances. Instead, he looked confident and made plays consistently throughout camp and the preseason.

Among the entire cornerback group, there's a case to be made that King stepped up the most during the summer. As a result, he should be on the final 53-man roster, especially with his newfound versatility to be able to slide inside to the slot.

Defensive passing-game coordinator Derrick Ansley recently praised an element of King's game that has come to light and can't be taught.

It wasn't a slow start to the summer for King despite rehabbing a wrist that required surgery before training camp. King hit the ground running, and head coach Matt LaFleur noted back in July how important it would be for King to continue stacking good days.

Stack the good days is indeed what King did. And his confidence hasn’t seemed to waver.

Green Bay could opt to keep anywhere from four to six cornerbacks, although going with four would be awfully risky. If the number is either five or six, one of those spots should go to the King. He's earned it, and he's blossoming into a player who isn't just a placeholder. King has shown the type of upside that Valentine displayed after he was taken in the seventh round in 2023, and now Valentine is knocking on the door of being a starter.

King could reach those heights, or something close to it. Putting him on the practice squad is too risky. Another team could snap him up. He has checked all the boxes necessary this summer and should see his name on the final 53-man roster.