Packers rookie is on pace to make the roster and the rest of the NFL forgot to draft him

If you follow the draft process all year long, cornerback Kalen King is a name you have known for quite some time. In 2023, he was perceived as a future first- or second-round pick. A tough last season for Penn State and bad athletic testing dropped him a lot— I mean, a lot . The 166th prospect on the consensus big board , King fell all the way to the seventh round, and the Packers picked him with the 255th overall selection , the last of 11 picks general manager Brian Gutekunst made back in April.

After a few weeks of training camp and one preseason game, it's fair to be optimistic about what King can be in the NFL . Right now, he's already a solid option to play in the slot, and his performance hasn't gone unnoticed.

"He's just really instinctive," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Wednesday. "He's a really good football player. The more opportunities he gets, the more he seems to show up and make plays."

In the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns , Kalen King played 34 defensive snaps (59%) and nine special teams snaps (45%). This is exactly what you could expect from a bottom of the roster piece. King has the ceiling to be a really good defensive player, and while he develops, contributing on special teams is already a reality.

Kalen King finished the game with a solid 68.7 defensive PFF grade, including a 75.5 tackling grade (something particularly important to play in the slot). His positional versatility showed up, as King played 21 snaps in the slot and 11 as a boundary corner. King also had an average 60.4 special teams grade.

King's ability to be physical and help in run support is a big attribute to play in today's NFL and not be exposed by opposing offenses. That's something defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley highlighted when talking about him earlier this year.

"He's a physical guy, he'll tackle," Hafley said. "From watching his tape, he made a ton of plays with those instincts. Can play the ball down the field. Love the way he runs and hits. Not sure why he fell like he did."

Kalen King might not be the first-round type of talent his 2023 projection would indicate. But it seems like the Packers got a really useful piece to their roster in the seventh round, which can be a big surplus for the team right away.

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