The enigma that is Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King is something the team has juggled since selecting him in the second round in 2017. On one hand, the defense is visibly better when he is healthy and on the field. On the other hand, King has missed nearly two-thirds of his games as a pro, and there’s a reasonable argument to be made that his play over the last four seasons doesn’t entitle him to another contract.

King will likely seek out a sizable long-term deal when he becomes a free agent this offseason. He’s got good size (6-3, 200 lbs.) and speed (4.43-second 40-yard dash) that will intrigue a potential suitor. However, the Packers may not be on the list of teams interested in having King on their roster in 2021.

Just a few weeks ago Green Bay made their most coveted player of the upcoming class of free agents the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history. Of course, I’m talking about All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari. Right now, the Packers do not have a ton of cap space. There are also players outside of King, including running-back Aaron Jones and center Corey Linsley, that would be more feasible to retain.

We do not know what kind of deal King will be seeking in the coming months, but the way his situation is shaping out, it makes more sense for Green Bay to part ways than to overpay for an average corner.

For this week’s Packers’ film review, we’re taking a look at King’s performance from week 17 against the Chicago Bears. Pro Football Focus gave King a solid grade of 74.1, the highest grade he’s received all year. King totaled 10 tackles and 2 pass defenses, but he also allowed nine receptions for 76 yards and four first downs.

Let’s take a look at King’s film from this past week in Chicago.

Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney was credited with five receptions for 26 yards against King coverage. On this play, King is in off-man and does a good job staying on top of the receiver. When Mooney makes his break on the 15-yard comebacker, King utilizes a nice speed turn to prevent separation. Even if the pass was on target, King was in solid position.

Again, here is King in off-man, but this time the pass is underneath on a short hitch. King is in a good stance with good knee bend, which allows him to break on the ball. He flashes good ball skills as he arrives at the right time to knock the ball away. In this example, we see that when he uses his technique, King typically has success.

We knew King was fast coming out of college and speed hasn’t been much an issue since entering the pros. The Packers are in man defense, and he’s all over this route from the time his man goes in motion. King shows good play speed and closing speed to finish the play.

King led the team in interceptions last year with five. He has six total for his career, but he failed to get one in 2020. This should have been an easy one, but King doesn’t see this throw until it’s too late. When you can get a turnover, especially in the red zone, you have to take advantage. King’s ball skills aren’t bad, but if he was a more consistent playmaker when it comes to taking the ball away, he would have a higher regard in Green Bay.

King isn’t a great corner when it comes to defending the run, but I felt the need to give him credit on this one. In this case, King has no one out wide on his side of the field, so he creeps in closer to the line of scrimmage. He immediately reads the run call and helps stuff David Montgomery for a minimal gain.

There seems to be a problem with King trusting his technique on a consistent basis. Earlier, we looked at him breaking up a pass on a similar route. However, this time he is standing straight up and gives too much cushion for an easy completion. This type of inconsistency is inexcusable.

Here is another example of the same thing.

Tackling is not one of King’s strongest attributes, and PFF has him at 35 missed tackles in 36 career starts. So, virtually one missed tackle every time he starts a game. This should have been an easy tackle for King. The receiver has his back turned and is unexpecting. An elite corner might even try to pry the ball loose in this instance. Instead, King goes low and ends up whiffing.

As much as there is to like about what King does here, there is just as much open to critique. He bluffs press coverage, but it’s man all the way. He throws a left arm into Allen Robinson’s right shoulder but is easily dismissed. It also appears that King hasn’t turned his hips enough to get on top of a vertical route. Perhaps, he was expecting Robinson to run a slant. However, if he was trying to stay on top of the receiver, he failed. Allen is able to stack King pretty easily and even though King is in good position as the throw arrives, it wasn’t enough. Because King is late to get his head turned, Chicago converts the fourth down with a 23-yard gain.

King’s performance against the Bears showcased the up and downs the Packers have been subject to the last four seasons. It’s incredibly hard to be a consistent corner week in and week out in the NFL and King is no exception. While his time in Green Bay has been mostly positive, in my opinion, it hasn’t warranted the kind of money he might get on the open market. The Packers could find a comparable replacement in the draft or even in free agency for the right price. Obviously, we will have a better understanding of how Green Bay feels in the coming months.