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Kevin King expected to start Week 1 for Green Bay Packers

By Alex Butler
Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King is expected to start Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season. Photo courtesy of the Green Bay Packers/Twitter
Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King is expected to start Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season. Photo courtesy of the Green Bay Packers/Twitter

May 21 (UPI) -- Second round cornerback Kevin King will likely face-off against NFC North wide receivers immediately, according to the Green Bay Packers.

The franchise expects the rookie to start during Week 1, according to Packers News.

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King, 22, was the No. 33 pick overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. The former Washington defender had 164 tackles, 22 passes defended, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 43 games for the Huskies.

The Packers acquired King after trading its No. 29 pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' No. 33 pick and a fourth round pick.

Davon House is expected to start opposite of King. House signed a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the team in March. Damarious Randall might move inside to the slot, with LaDarius Gunter and Quinten Rollins fighting for playing time.

The Packers were the No. 7 passing defense in the league when it comes to passer rating, allowing an 82.1 mark.

House played for the Packers from 2011 through 2014 after being a fourth round pick by the franchise in the 2011 NFL Draft. He has familiarity with the 3-4 system, as he played under current Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers for all four of those seasons.

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The Packers' secondary was torched in the postseason for a league-high eight touchdowns and 326 passing yards per game. Green Bay's pass defense also allowed the second-most yards per game and third-most touchdown passes during the regular season.

King has great height at 6-foot, 3-inches, but his speed was a concern for scouts heading into the draft.

"I'm not 100 percent sure what you do with him because he's not a physical tackler, but he's almost too tall to be trusted against shifty receivers," a west coast regional scout from the AFC said in his NFL.com draft profile. "Maybe a team like Seattle, which love those long, press corners. Or you might see a team try and make him a free safety."

King signed a four-year deal with the Packers on May 11. Green Bay had the lowest-graded secondary in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus. Rollins was the site's highest-graded corner last season. According to Pro Football Focus, King's 0.87 yards per cover snap was 27th of 94 corner ranked from the 2017 draft class. That mark was also better than the top four cornerbacks on the Packers' depth chart.

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If King does start in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks he will likely see a lot of Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse. Green Bay's Week 1 contest kicks off at 4:25 p.m. September 10 at Lambeau Field.

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