Rookie Profile: Kalen King, Cornerback, Green Bay Packers
Welcome to the Rookie Profile for Kalen King, a cornerback out of Penn State. He is from Detroit, Michigan, and was a 4-star recruit from Cass Technical High School.
King began his collegiate career in 2021 for Penn State. As a freshman, he appeared in only 9 games but had solid production regardless. In his limited playing time, he put up 15 solo tackles, 6 assists, 1 tackle for loss, 5 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.
In 2022, as a sophomore for the Nittany Lions, he racked up an impressive 23 solo tackles, 7 assists, 3 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 18 passes defended, 1 fumble forced and 1 fumble recovered. A massive stat line for a sophomore cornerback.
His junior season in 2023 was the final one of his collegiate career. He racked up 20 solo tackles, 9 assists, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 2 passes defended in 12 games. While his senior year was nowhere near as impressive as his sophomore campaign, it was still solid.
Measurables
Draft Capital & Landing Spot
Draft Capital- Round 7 Pick 35
- As far as draft capital goes, it doesn’t get much worse than this while being drafted. This seventh-round selection shows that King is likely viewed as a developmental prospect and an end-of-the-road player.
- King has decent size and speed and has potential, but he is going to face a long road to consistent playing time. I consider his draft capital a very large strike against his potential fantasy value.
Landing Spot- Green Bay Packers
- The Packers are an unknown commodity. There are lots of new pieces added to this team over the past year and it appears to be a whole new Green Bay Packers team and a new day.
- There is potential here to earn a role and even potential to be a starter on this team, the question will be his talent level. If King can prove himself in training camp and even as a rookie, he could very quickly find himself in line for a bigger role on a new-look Packers defense.
Team Depth Chart
Expected Role: Depth Cornerback
Depth Chart via Fantasy Pros
Fantasy Impact
King began the season amid high expectations as an early draft pick, having led the Big 10 in pass breakups with 21 as a true sophomore. However, his pass breakup tally fell to just two in 12 games in 2023, without a single interception.
His combine showing also diminished his prospects, clocking a 4.61 at 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds. The Packers may hope to see a resurgence of King’s 2022 performance, as such productivity is rare. Yet, they must also consider the possibility that his 2023 form is what they’ll encounter.
King is likely a developmental prospect who will have to battle to make the roster. He isn’t someone I’m actively targeting in IDP rookie drafts and is best left on the waiver wire.
Check out our 2024 Rookie Rankings Page for a full breakdown of this rookie class.
