Getty CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft Penn State cornerback Kalen King to pair with Joey Porter Jr.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted one Penn State cornerback in their history. But that fact didn’t stop CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso from predicting the Steelers to target a Penn State cornerback for the second straight draft class.
In his latest mock draft on January 3, Trapasso projected the Steelers to select Penn State cornerback Kalen King at No. 18 overall in the first round.
“It’s a Penn State reunion in the Steelers secondary,” Trapasso wrote. “Joey Porter Jr. and King usher in a new, lockdown era at cornerback in Pittsburgh.”
King and Joey Porter Jr. played at Penn State together during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The Steelers selected Porter at No. 33 overall in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.
How Penn State CB Kalen King Could Fit With the Steelers
Porter solidified one of the corner spots during the second half of this season for the Steelers. According to Pro Football Focus, Porter has struggled a little the past three weeks, but he’s still the top rated Steelers cornerback this season, based on the PFF player grades.
Fellow defensive back Patrick Peterson has posted a similar PFF player grade to Porter this season. But Peterson has suggested a couple times over the past month that he could move to safety to extend his career.
Peterson has played more safety the last couple games with the Steelers struggling with depth. That has moved previously-benched veteran Levi Wallace back into a prominent cornerback role.
While he played well in Week 17, Wallace has posted the worst PFF player grade of his career. He’s also a free agent this offseason.
The Steelers have some promising young cornerbacks Darius Rush and Cory Trice on the roster. But Rush and Trice are both inexperienced, so if the Steelers are serious about moving Peterson to safety on a permanent basis, then they could use another young cornerback to grow with Porter.
King is the most obvious fit since he played with Porter at Penn State. King posted 29 total tackles, including 1.5 for loss and 2 pass defenses in 12 games with the Nittany Lions this past season.
In 34 career college games, he had 25 pass defenses and 3 interceptions.
King is an intriguing possibility because of Porter, and he would fill a need. But the question is whether the Steelers will identify him as a potential first-round choice.
Bleacher Report’s NFL scouting department called King a “high-level backup/potential starter” and positioned him as a likely third-round pick in their draft evaluation.
Steelers to Target Defense in First Round of the 2024 NFL Draft?
With Porter, it feels like the Steelers bolstered their defense with a first-round pick this season. But Porter was actually the first selection of the second round.
The Steelers haven’t drafted a defensive player in the first round since linebacker Devin Bush in 2019.
Bush actually ended a streak of seven consecutive drafts where the Steelers took a defensive player in the first round. From 2011-19, the Steelers picked just one offensive player in the first round.
Since then, though, the Steelers have drafted running back Najee Harris, quarterback Kenny Pickett and offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first 32 selections.
Obviously, there’s still a few months until the first round of the draft. A lot can happen for the prospects and NFL teams before then.
The big question for the Steelers is what to do at quarterback. Pickett largely disappointed during his second season, and Mason Rudolph is a free agent.
If the Steelers don’t bring back Rudolph and elect not to sign a different veteran signal caller, drafting a quarterback early is not off the table for Pittsburgh.