Prospect No. 3
Kalen King - CB (Penn State)
Kalen King is a bit of a sad story. He was considered one of the top cornerbacks in the draft before the start of the 2023 season. He had a rough year and was embarrassed in the Ohio State game.
He followed up the lackluster season with a poor showing at the Senior Bowl, where he was beaten often in one-on-ones and had to resort to grabbing his man to make up the difference.
Despite all this, King was still seen by many as a fringe first-round prospect and at worst a mid-second-rounder. Unfortunately, his downward spiral continued at the Scouting Combine, and now the fourth round seems to be a popular spot for him in recent mock drafts.
The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds. That was slower than some edge rushers who are nearly twice his size. Now there are major concerns about his recovery speed, along with some technique issues.
It's curious whether or not King's issue is just blown confidence. If he does end up going in the fourth round, he has a chance to be a nice reclamation project for a defensive coordinator because he's got much more talent than many players selected in that range.