As a seventh-round pick, Green Bay Packers rookie cornerback Kalen King is doing what every young player without draft status must do to make a 53-man roster: Take advantage of opportunity.
Early in training camp, King intercepted Jordan Love while running with the first-team defense. In the preseason opener, the former Penn State star made an impressive open-field tackle. On Tuesday, King added a sack and another interception in 11-on-11 work.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur believes there is a correlation between opportunity and playmaking with King, the 255th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
“He’s just really instinctive. He’s a really good football player,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “The more opportunities he gets, the more he seems to show up and make plays.”
The Packers are playing King in the slot, where LaFleur believes the rookie has natural skills. Playing inside also helps mask some of King’s straight-line speed limitations, which contributed to his draft fall.
Against the Browns last Saturday, King recognized a short pass into the flat and delivered a crunching tackle in the open field after a short gain. Physicality has been a plus attribute for King this summer.
One year after picking Carrington Valentine, is it possible the Packers found another seventh-round steal at cornerback?
The work for King — an All-American at Penn State as a sophomore — is far from done. The Packers are deep at cornerback, and King might be no higher than No. 6 or No. 7 on the depth chart. The top four are mostly set in stone with Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Valentine and Keisean Nixon. King is battling with Corey Ballentine, Robert Rochell and Gemon Green for a final roster spot at the position.
Opportunity shouldn’t be a problem over the next two weeks. The Packers have a joint practice and a preseason game against the Denver Broncos this week and a joint practice and a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens next week.
If King keeps making plays and earning more opportunities, it’ll be tough for the Packers to keep him off the 53-man roster before Week 1.