Steelers could gamble on former Packers cornerback in free agency

Kevin King has been up and down for most of his career, but here’s why the former Packers cornerback could be just what the Pittsburgh Steelers need.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had quite an active 2022 offseason. In one last hurrah, Kevin Colbert used the team’s ample salary-cap space to add some quality depth in free agency. He later topped his historic tenure by loading up on offense early in the NFL Draft.

Recently, Omar Khan took over as general manager and was quick to make some decisions of his own. He recently signed Minkah Fitzpatrick to a contract extension and added DT Larry Ogunjobi in free agency.

Despite all of the moves this offseason, the Steelers didn’t do much to address the cornerback position. While Colbert did add former Bills cornerback, Levi Wallace, early in the offseason, he essentially just took the place of Joe Haden on the roster.

This is one positional group that Pittsburgh could certainly stand to improve. The Steelers were able to retain Ahkello Witherspoon, but Wallace was a bit underwhelming for the Bills last season and they could use more help on the outside.

After missing out on the J.C. Jackson sweepstakes in free agency, the pickings were pretty slim. However, one veteran cornerback is still on the market that would make sense for Pittsburgh.

Steelers could sign Kevin King

For much of his career, Kevin King has been a disappointment. The Green Bay Packers had high hopes for the former 33rd overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Sadly, his career got off to a very slow start as he was picked on repetitively in coverage.

Last year, things finally started to come together for King with Packers first-year defensive coordinator, Joe Barry. Unfortunately, a concussion and a shoulder injury caused him to miss five games early in the year, and he played in just a part-time capacity after that.

King’s struggles were never due to a lack of size or athletic traits. At 6’3” and 200 pounds with long arms, you couldn’t draw up a better build for a prototype outside cornerback. Entering the league, King tested as a 99th percentile athlete, according to his Relative Athletic Score.

Just last year, the Steelers found a ton of success in former 49ers developmental cornerback, Ahkello Witherspoon. With comparable size and athletic traits, Witherspoon’s career got off to a very slow start before he eventually hit his stride.

At this point, King isn’t going to earn a huge contract, and Pittsburgh can afford to roll the dice on him. If he works out, then they have another long, athletic cornerback to pair with Witherspoon on the outside. If he doesn’t, he could be a serviceable depth option they could move on from following the 2022 season.

In 2019, King recorded 5 interceptions in 15 games, so we know he has the capability to help in the turnover department. If he has finally taken that next step, the 27-year-old cornerback could be prepared to have the best seasons of his NFL career.

I know he has struggled in the past, but cornerbacks like Kevin King are of a rare breed. He’s worth gambling on in free agency to see if he can earn a starting role on the Steelers this year.