Penn State cornerback Kalen King finally heard his name called on Saturday at the NFL Draft as the Green Bay Packers selected him 255th overall in the seventh round.
King, once expected to go as soon as the first round earlier in his career, saw a slide in his stock after not quite reaching expectations this past year. King was in fact solid for the Nittany Lions in 2023 but recorded no interceptions, finished seventh on Penn State’s defense in total tackles and deflected/defended just two passes after being credited with 18 the year prior.
Of course, the hallmark of a good corner is not being thrown at in the first place, but King’s occasional struggles against Ohio State standout receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and opting not to participate in Penn State’s bowl clash against a pass-happy Ole Miss team did little to help his cause.
King was the second Nittany Lion corner to be drafted on Saturday as Daequan Hardy heard his name called in the sixth round.
It was the second consecutive year Penn State had two corners drafted. Joey Porter Jr. was selected with the first pick of the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 draft and Ji’Ayir Brown was picked in the sixth round by the San Francisco 49ers.
As a program, Penn State finishes the draft with eight players selected over the course of the three-day event. It is a figure that falls two players short of the Nittany Lions’ highest-ever total set in 1996 and ties the highest under James Franklin, which was previously set at eight in 2022. Offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, selected No. 11 overall by the New York Jets, and defensive end Chop Robinson picked up at No. 21 by the Miami Dolphins are Penn State’s headliners this draft cycle.
