With his measurables, why was King not like the #3 pick?
Some say King is grabby, he is, but I like this. Some other time I’ll tell ya the story of another CB who was pretty grabby: Charles Woodson. All great CBs have 1 thing in common: they cheat. They get their hands on ya and it prevents the WR from cutting with explosion and takes .3 seconds off the WR’s 40. Of course, the key is to be more subtle. This King will learn subtly from the best.
King’s good, but he doesn’t mirror as well as Randall did as a senior; though he did make a stunning improvement from his Jr to Sr year. As a Jr he played mostly slot and based on that tape he’s a third day pick at best. If he makes the same jump as a rookie; he’ll be a productive starting caliber in 2017.
All rookies need to improve, even #1 Myles Garrett, or they’re out of the league. Ted did not see King as a super learner, he saw him as just one of a tier of guys. If King was special Ted would have picked him at #29. Actually, he would have had to trade up in front of Dallas, Seattle and Buffalo [3 CB desperate teams]. So Ted was fine w/ losing King at #29 [or Watt or Ramcyk] and moving back 4 spots knowing a player just as qualified would be at #33. Seattle absolutely desperate at CB had 2 shots at King and passed.
Another weakness for King is he’s pretty bad at getting a jam. Unable to jam Fr. Demetrius Robertson from Cal at 1:49 in 1st Q, led to his longest catch of year as he blew right by King. Though Robertson was the best Fr receiver in country and ran a 4.34 at his Nike camp.
In illustrating another non-strength the long play was set-up nicely at 8:30 1Q. Robertson ran a fly, got King’s hips turned, stopped for come backer and King ended up 7 yards away from Robertson at catch. At 10:58 2Q Robertson got King’s hips turned and he ran an out; King responded soso well as Robertson was only open by 2 yards. King’s under 4.0 on short shuttle and 3 cone under 7.0, indicates fluid turning; but these #’s doesn’t translate in his play. King stops and turns more like the Edmund Fitzgerald than a jetski. Humm, the Fitzgerald didn’t end to well; so let’s change that to an aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson. Heck, that one could end with King never seeing an NFL snap as the world is plunged into Nuclear Winter, this fall. Let’s just say he stops, starts and turns more like a random big ocean liner that has had no epic trouble.
This positive side of this is that his numbers show his problems are more about mentally processing the game faster as opposed to physical limitations.
After watching most of his games; it appears he doesn’t have that real good “closing speed,” but that is a misnomer. Closing speed has little to do with speed, because all CBs are fast [Some say a 4.55 is slow, but it is FAST, if you don’t think so, time yourself running a 40 LOL]. Closing speed is about anticipation and making the decision to break a split second earlier. This “instinct” is honed through quality reps, mental reflection on those reps and quality watching of more game film than Trump watches Fox News. Of course, playing faster is what will help him track better as receivers make their moves.
He’s a very willing and okay tackler, and not bad for a CB; but sticks his head in on the tackles too much. You may remember Shields doing this way too much [Shields don’t remember because of his concussions].
Prospects for King’s improvement in playing faster and technique are muted a bit by the fact his DB coach at Washington was Jimmy Lake, who was DB coach in Detroit [2008] and Tampa Bay [2010-11]. He was a lousy pro DB coach; but a pro DB coach nonetheless. King has been exposed to advanced CB technique and the coaching has not fully taken. But, his experience and physical maturing provides hope for the future.
As a HS Sr, King was 6’1 and change and ran a 4.67 40, so he’s grown/matured quite a bit in college. If he gets good Uffda will no doubt scream steroids. 4.67 to 4.42, obviously it could never be his maturing a bit late and being subjected to Washington’s training program. Also, he was a Safety as Fr and So; slot CB as Jr and only played boundary for 1 year. If King played 4 years on boundary I’d be much less sure of his ability to improve further. King’s filling out via Washington’s excellent training programs was undermined by King’s growing of 1.5 inches while there. He’s a weakling and has some filling out to do, more than Randall or the average late 1 type pick. In GB, he will get stronger and fill out some by September, but a whole lot by next season. By becoming more physically powerful he’ll improve at the jam and redirecting/slowing receivers with more subtle touches of the hand. Plus, he’s only been able to apply his boundary techniques for 1 year, so this will get better. And his focus will naturally improve. In College he didn’t need perfect technique to stay with most receivers and often when burned the QBs would miss. In NFL if he doesn’t use perfect technique every time his back will show up on highlight films all over the world.
I don’t think he was as polished as Randall was at this juncture and don’t think he’ll start until late in year at best. Some say he doesn’t play a fast as he timed, I disa100%agree. He runs on field up to his timed speed; he just isn’t playing as fast mentally as he will. He only looks slower because his technique is mediocre and it prevents him from coming out of breaks explosively and the WRs look faster because of his poor use of hand techniques to subtly to slow/redirect WRs and using power to jam.
What he is good at is making is making plays on the ball, at the highest point, with his exceptional height and leaping ability. Oh, if we only had him in the days of Randy Moss. Early in the year I see him in some red zone packages. He doesn’t have to worry about a guy getting behind him for 70; throwing those corner fades against our D just got a lot tougher.