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Kalen King drafted by Packers in Round 7 of the NFL draft

The wait may have been longer than once thought possible, but Penn State cornerback Kalen King is officially an NFL draft pick. King was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft, thus avoiding falling into the territory of undrafted free agency.

King was a key recruit in Penn State Class of 2021 and wasted no time showing his value with an interception returned for a touchdown in his first spring game on campus. King quickly became a key player in Penn State’s defensive backfield and went on to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and second-team All-Big Ten in 2023. He was viewed as arguably the best cornerback in the nation a year ago with a potential first-round draft outlook. But King slipped in the buildup to the draft with a shaky showing at the Senior Bowl and in the NFL combine while others at cornerback shined.

But, none of that matters as the Packers may have found a late-round gem with a chip on his shoulder.

King was the eighth Penn State player selected in the NFL draft. He followed Olu Fashanu, Chop Robinson, Caedan Wallace, Adisa Isaac, Theo Johnson, Hunter Nourzad, and Daequan Hardy.

Catch all of the latest updates from the NFL draft with USA TODAY’s live draft tracker. For a look at each Penn State draft prospect, be sure to check out our Penn State NFL draft tracker.

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Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire