2017 Senior Bowl: 5 Players who hurt stock
By John Buhler
Desmond King
Cornerback, Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Desmond King entered the 2016 NCAA season with an absurd amount to hype. Then again, his Hawkeyes did win the Big Ten West and he earned the Jim Thorpe Award as a junior. Ultimately, the hype was merited.
King came to Mobile this week to see if he could be an undoubted first-round pick. CBS had King as a late first to early second round grade, as the No. 6 cornerback in the 2017 NFL Draft. While he played well throughout practice, other guys outshined him this week.
Unless a playoff team in the NFL really thinks he can make an immediate impact in their defensive back scheme, King is now likely going to go in the top part of the second round. He’s a little smaller than we thought and isn’t as rangy as NFL scouts could have hoped for.
Yes, King is technically sound, but doesn’t appear to have the body type to play press man in an NFL defense. He could be a very good free safety in the NFL, but King may not be that Pro Bowl shutdown cornerback he was hyped as coming into 2016. King is still a really good player, but going to the Senior Bowl didn’t help him be a lock to go in the first round.