Desmond King is one of the best defensive backs in all of college football. The four year player from Iowa is a two time First Team All-Big Ten player, an All-American from the 2015 season, and won the Jim Thorpe Award, Jack Tatum Trophy, and Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award in 2015. After his junior year in 2015, King could have come to the NFL, after his 72 tackle, 13 pass defenses, and 8 interceptions campaign in 2015. King decided, however, to stay in college for his senior year, to graduate and receive his degree, a very respectable decision. King is listed as a top cornerback coming into the draft, and would be a great choice for the Ravens.
Strengths
Desmond King is one of the most intriguing prospects coming out of this year’s draft. He has the experience of four years at Iowa, and over time developed the necessary skills to be successful at the next level. One thing Desmond King is particularly good at is his ability to catch and attack the ball. His hands are amazing in the sense that he goes all out to make a play on the ball. If a quarterback throws towards King, theres a good chance the pass is either going to be broken up, or intercepted. He tracks the ball well, and is able to make some spectacular grabs. He is able to do this because he watches and reads the quarterback well, which can be attributed to his football instincts which are particularly outstanding. If King is not able to prevent a catch, he is able to contain the receiver, and prevent him from getting any more yards. This is a very underrated quality for cornerbacks like King. No one will be able to stop every pass, so it is crucial that defenders are able to control and keep minimal any damage the offense gives. To go along with his containment, King is able to tackle fairly well, and wraps up players on the opposing offense with ease. This coupled with his zone coverage abilities make him a good fit on the Ravens defense, and a capable run stuffer. King is also versatile, as he is a solid return man for kicks and punts, which the Ravens may be in the market for this offseason. His four year experience in the Big Ten, will also help him to develop into a strong corner for any team who drafts him.
Weaknesses
Although Desmond King is an outstanding player, he does possess some weaknesses which should be addressed. At roughly 5’11”, and 203 lbs, King is somewhat undersized as a defensive back. However, this shouldn’t be a determining factor whatsoever, as we all saw with the success of the undersized Tavon Young last season. Another drawback on King is that he sometimes allows receivers to get away from him, and this is because he does not play particularly tight coverage all the time. His speed isn’t fantastic either, which is somewhat of a concern.
His Fit on the Ravens
If Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens organization decide to draft Desmond King, it would be a solid addition to a position that needs more depth. King is a playmaking cornerback, who could even see some time at safety. The Ravens need some real ball hawking defenders, and King could be the answer. King has also stated that the Ravens would be a good fit for him, so expect the Ravens front office to keep that in mind when draft day rolls around.
Rating
Overall, I give Desmond King a 4.3/5.0 prospect rating. He was a four year player for Iowa where he gained a lot of experience that will help him become a solid player in the NFL. I could defiantly see King transforming into a Pro Bowl player in the right system, and I believe that he would succeed greatly on the Ravens. Personally I believe King is a late first round talent, but many of the analysts and scouts are projecting him to go in the second or third round. If the Ravens can indeed snag him in the second round, it would be a steal.
