The University of Washington defensive backs were expected to perform well. Kevin King surpassed expectations
The University of Washington wide receiver John Ross had a good combine. Cornerback Sidney Jones had a good combine. Saftety Budda Baker had a good combine. But cornerback Kevin King may have had the best combine of all.
At least that is what many in the know are saying:
Looking at official results from DB workouts today. Kevin King -the overlooked, underrated Washington CB- killed it...
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) March 6, 2017
You see, cornerback is an oft sought after position. Good teams need cornerbacks. Bad teams need cornerbacks.
Late Round One Is Okay
Kevin King may have done himself more of a favor than he may realize. You see, he would be wise to accept NOT being the number one cornerback in the 2017 NFL Draft.
By falling to late first round, he could land on the Atlanta Hawks, or even New England Patriots.
Don't be surprised if Kevin King finds his way into the first round. Would have no issue with Hawks grabbing him at 26
— Dave “Softy” Mahler (@Softykjr) March 6, 2017
It may cost some salary, but in the end, playing for a contender early and the reputation earned by contributing to a championship team? But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Let’s let other’s do it for me:
Former Washington Husky Kevin King made some money today with the BEST workout of ALL 300 plus prospects attending #NFLCombine
— Tony Softli (@SoftliSEA) March 6, 2017
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Combine Results
So what is all the fuss about? Per NFL.com, Kevin King nailed the combine. His performance was:
- Event Result Rank
- 40 Yd Dash 4.43 secs 8th CB
- Vertical Jump 39.5 feet 2nd CB
- 3 Cone Drill 6.56 secs 1st CB
- 20 Yard Shuttle 3.89 secs 1st CB
- 60 Yard Shuttle 11.14 secs 1st CB
- Bench Press 11 reps did not place
- Broad Jump DNP
In the end, on virtually every physical measure, Kevin King dominated.
Got Their Attention
Many top NFL teams love to pick up undervalued talent. While scouts did not rate King as highly as teammate Sidney Jones IV, there was still plenty of intrigue. King has excellent size and weight at 6’3″, 200 pounds, with the all-important 32 inch arms.
Some teams, like the Seattle Seahawks prefer cornerbacks with 32 inch arms or longer:
Think you gotta favor Kevin King over Sidney Jones. https://t.co/FPNWgYbZZT
— Field Gulls (@FieldGulls) March 4, 2017
And so, it was a matter of proving Kevin King’s athleticism. Done, and done.
Next: NFL Rumors Phi Eagles Target University Washington CB Sidney Jones
There are plenty of workouts and interviews in store for the UW Huskies on their way to the NFL. But it’s clear that the University of Washington players at the combine impressed scouts and NFL executives. None more than Kevin King.