In 2022, King ranked third nationally with 21 passes defensed. In 2023, he had only two. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed a completion percentage of 45.8 percent in 2022 compared to 61.0 percent in 2023. However, in 12 games, he allowed 45-plus yards in only two. And in his final three games, PFF charged him with zero completions allowed.
“He wasn’t bad at all. He just didn’t produce the numbers in coverage,” Smith said. “Like I said, he didn’t give up a touchdown. In our world, that’s first and foremost because, when they don’t score, they can’t win. And so he played really well; just not as well as he did. He was an All-American the year before (but) Kalen was still great for us.”“
He’s going to make it because he’s a consistent football player and he loves the game,” Smith said. “One of the challenges we face in today’s game is people want attention, people want social media, people want all the other reasons. This guy loves football and he’s driven to be successful. Now that the draft has taken place, there’s another built-in chip on his shoulder and he’s really motivated to succeed.”
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