Desmond King - Iowa

Position: DB

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 203 lbs

Year: Senior

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

Experience: 4-Year Starter

Measurables:

40yd dash: DNP

Broad jump: DNP

Vertical: DNP

3-cone: DNP

20yd. Shuttle: DNP

Bench Press: 14 reps

Career Notes:

King started 12 of 13 games as a freshman at Iowa and started every game from his sophomore through his senior year. He is in Iowa’s record books for one of the ten longest interceptions returned for a touchdown in the school’s history (88 yards vs. Maryland in 2015). He also sits atop the record for single season interceptions alongside Lou King with 8 picks.

Over his four years, he was the Hawkeyes’ premier corner. Named the Big Ten’s top defensive back in 2015, he lead the team in interceptions and passes defensed. In 2016, his numbers did decline as he only picked two passes and only had seven passes defensed (contrasted with his 13 defensed passes from 2015).

Though he spent his time at Iowa as a cornerback, the closer the draft comes, more and more scouts are mocking King as a safety. He has said he is open to the positional move.

Injury Report:

In all his starts, he never suffered a notable injury.

Career Stats (click here):  

Analysis:

Man Coverage 2.5/5.0: King shows consistent hip flexibility and quick feet to turn and run on deeper routes, but after the initial turn, he gets lost too often. He is consistently cooked against comebacks and out routes. Though he uses the sideline as an extra defender and anticipates a good number of routes, he occasionally bites too early and gets beat outside. He’s a little handsy and might draw holding calls in man.

Zone Coverage 4.0/5.0: Covering a zone gives King the best situation to flex his greatest attributes: his IQ and his anticipation. He is not just playing to force incompletions, he plays to get the offense off of the field. When playing a zone, he tracks multiple players well and always prioritizes the man who might come free in crossing routes. The problems he faces against outs and comebacks in man coverage don’t show up in zone.

Against the Run 3.5/5.0: A reliable tackler, King can be counted on as a safety net in the run game. His eyes track beyond the offensive line to the backfield well, and he could serve a defense well if freed up to penetrate the line. He was consistent in jamming up receivers’ blocks and forcing runners inside or outside towards his support.

Speed/Quickness 3.0/5.0: Against vertical routes, he left a lot to be desired in the way of speed. Receivers were frequently able to get behind him. While many point to his size as one basis for a shift to safety, his speed may necessitate the shift. In pursuing runners downhill, he showed impressive agility to get past messy blocking schemes to get to runners. In the return game, he also displayed quickness required to get through the sludge to make plays.

Impact Play Ability 3.5/5.0: As a senior, King settled in and played to a lot of his strengths and took fewer risks. His ability to make big plays was best exemplified in 2015, but he was no slouch in 2016. In 2015, he played the ball a lot in the pass--in 2016 he played more situationally. He consistently tackled guys short of first downs and forced incompletions when passes came his way. While his impact is limited by physical gifts, he has shown that his mind can take him far.

Summary: Regardless of where he lands, King will be a fun a watch because he has settled into one of those “plays the right way” kind of guys. Not many people will remember who he is three years down the road, but the fans of whoever drafts him will love him because he’s just always there and always doing the right thing. He can be trusted to run man against most tight ends, he will thrive in a zone, and he will be effective in the run game. It would be surprising to see him suited up on the outside when the season starts.

Overall Grade : 3.3/5.0

If Drafted by the Packers:

Entering the final year of Morgan Burnett’s contract with Micah Hyde still on the market, it would be helpful to pick up a late-round value at safety. King has shown reliability and maturity in 2016. As bright as he is, he would be valuable for the complicated sets that Dom Capers draws up. His field vision and decision making suggest that his football IQ could translate to complicated play sets in which he may, for example, have to show blitz then cover a deep zone. He’s a gritty player who fans could fall in love with. He also has a confidence to him that would liven up a sometimes personality-starched defense.

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