Steelers Could Actually Benefit From Another Penn State Cornerback's Brutal Performance At 2024 NFL Combine

In 2023, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback, Joey Porter Jr., with the first pick in the second round. Porter at slot 32 would typically have been the last pick of the first round, but the Miami Dolphins were forced to forfeit their pick after they violated the anti-tampering policy. It was an unqualified success and cemented Omar Khan as a force to be reckoned with in the NFL after flipping Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears to secure the rights to draft Porter. 

One year later, the Steelers still need cornerback depth. The team is desperately thin behind Porter and is rumored to contemplate an established free agent as the yin to their now-second-year cornerback's yang. Khan and Andy Weidl will be hard at work searching for a 1A to pair with Porter, but that is only a piece of the puzzle. Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin's defense needs multiple answers in the secondary. 

On Tuesday, Joe Smeltzer from Nittany Sports Now joined Donny Football on 93.7 The Fan to discuss the prospective draft positions of the Penn State contingent who are eligible for the April draft. When the subject of cornerback Kalen King's future was raised, Smeltzer did not pull any punches. 

"I think Kalen King's going to fall into the middle rounds," Smeltzer said. "I can't see him going before the fourth. The third round is probably the highest I see him going in. I wouldn't be surprised if he slid into the fourth or fifth."

King is an intriguing option for the Steelers and is the other half of the 2022 Penn State cornerback duo. He started opposite Porter for nine games in 2022 and was a highly touted prospect heading into 2023. He was named a Third Team All-American by Pro Football Focus in 2022 and selected as Second Team All-Big Ten by the Associated Press. King earned a nod to the First Team Preseason All-American team in 2023. 

Unfortunately, that is where the good news stops for King. With Porter's departure, he started drawing the opponent's best receiver, and his performance suffered dramatically. King does not have the prototypical size for an outside cornerback. He is only 5'11" and 191 pounds, and in 2023, he allowed a passer rating of 82.4 when he was in coverage, compared to the 48.9 rating he gave up in 2022. King intercepted three passes and defended 15 in 2022. He only defended two in 2023 and did not have an interception. 

All this could have been explained by the departure of Porter's Batman to King's Robin as the root of his struggles. However, his devastatingly slow 40-yard dash time of 4.61 at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and his on-field performance in 2023 has sent him tumbling down the draft board into day three. 

"When you're a cornerback, you need speed. He didn't really show too much of it at the NFL Combine," Smeltzer continued. "He didn't show very much at the Senior Bowl either. What I did see and what the reports were, it wasn't too good. It feels like ever since King got torn up a bit by Marvin Harrison Jr. when Penn State played Ohio State, that really kind of started a downward slide. It didn't feel like he was up to the challenge as people would have projected. He is definitely a slider." 

Where he lands will depend heavily on how much his 40-yard dash improves on his Pro Day. Fast, undersized cornerbacks can still have highly productive NFL careers in nickel-and-dime packages. Slow, undersized rookie cornerbacks generally don't play meaningful roles at the next level. Especially those who seem to be in the midst of a crisis of confidence from being torched by Marvin Harrison Jr. 

Steelers Could Be Poised To Pounce On Another Nittany Lions Cornerback Sliding Down The Draft Board

Porter disappointed at the NFL Combine last year with his slower-than-expected 40-yard dash, which forced him down the draft board to the Steelers. Of course, Porter's disappointing time was 4.46, significantly faster than King's. The Steelers could benefit again from a slower-than-expected 40-yard dash from a Penn State cornerback. 

If Khan and Weidl see a marked improvement from King over the remainder of the process, the dynamic duo could use one of their two fourth-round draft picks on him. The Steelers are counting on Corey Trice Jr. to return from injury and contribute in 2024. Pittsburgh needs to stockpile as much talent as possible in the secondary, and King's adversity could be the Steelers' gain in the April draft.

What do you think, Steeler Nation? If King improves his 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, should he be on the Steelers' radar? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq. 

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