Paul Bretl | 7/29/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — In this past April’s draft, the Packers selected Penn State cornerback Kalen King with the 255th pick–the third to last selection in the draft. On Sunday, during the Packers’ sixth training camp practice, King came away with an interception off quarterback Jordan Love.
With the offense facing a third-and-four situation on the practice field, King found himself working with the first team defense out of the slot. With the defense playing a Cover-2 zone, Love, who was trying to get the ball to Christian Watson, let the pass rip but the play was jumped by King. In a live game, may have taken it all the way back for a touchdown.
“I’m really just working to my landmark and just reading Jordan,” said King after practice.” 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.”
In addition to King’s interception, he also had a pass breakup on Sunday as well.
A year ago at this time, there were well-known draft analysts who thought that King was going to be an early-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft. King was coming off a 2022 season where he was named a second-team Walter Camp All-American, allowing a completion rate of only 45 percent with nine pass breakups and three interceptions.
However, during the 2023 season, King’s play took a major step back. He allowed a completion rate of 61 percent in coverage and had only one pass breakup and no interceptions the entire season. Not helping King’s draft stock either was a 4.61-second 40-yard dash.
“It’s extremely motivating,” said King back in April about being taken in the seventh round. “Not going where you thought you would go, seeing all the names being picked ahead of you, just enduring all that, seeing that and I felt like it put a chip on my shoulder, a permanent chip on my shoulder that I gotta keep there.
“I felt like the Packers are going to get one of the most competitive guys in the country, a tough corner, physical corner who’s going to give 100% effort around the field at all times and make as many plays as I possibly can by doing it at 100%.”
King was a boundary cornerback at Penn State, but since arriving in Green Bay, he’s seen a lot of work from the nickel. During the individual warmup periods of these training camp practices, King has spent all of his time in the slot, while during the team portion, he’s played both nickel and on the boundary.
Being moved inside wasn’t a surprise for King. During the pre-draft process, he knew that at the NFL level teams might want him to play from the slot, which is a “different world,” as King put it, compared to the boundary, where additional communication is needed, and it’s not only about reading the quarterback, with run defense a key element when it comes to filling this role.
“I would say the details,” said King on the biggest difference from the slot. “There’s more things you’ve got to look at. More keys you’ve got to read. I gotta key lineman, and running backs, and quarterbacks. I’m more of a QB-eye guy, so it’s definitely a different world than the outside. But, you know, I’m just taking it day-by-day, studying as much as I can so I catch up to speed as quick as possible.”
Like any seventh-round selection, King is competing for a roster spot. At cornerback, we know that four of those spots are accounted for between Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine, and Keisean Nixon. Depending on how heavy the Packers go at that position, that leaves one or two roster spots available.
King showcasing an ability to line up both inside and out will be an important factor in distinguishing himself, with versatility coveted on this Packers team. Corey Ballentine is doing the same. After proving to be a capable option off the bench last season, allowing a completion rate below 60 percent with an interception and four pass breakups, he has spent the offseason and training camp working from the slot as well.
And as always when it comes to these back-end of the roster positions, special teams contributions will be important.
“I’m competing for a job,” said King. “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.”
Overall, it was an impressive day for King on top of what has been a sound start to training camp. However, one good day doesn’t make a training camp just like one bad day doesn’t break a training camp. Day-to-day consistency with incremental improvements will be a massive factor in determining whether or not King makes the team, and a potential catalyst in making that happen could be the confidence boost he got on Sunday.
“It only gives me confidence,” said King of his interception. “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.”