Green Bay Packers: 5 Players who need to step up in 2020

2. Kevin King, CB

Entering last season, the hope was that Jaire Alexander was going to emerge as a superstar cornerback after a great rookie season in 2018. While he again flashed that elite potential, he still wasn’t a consistent lockdown player. Now that he’s coming into his third season, there is hope still the former first-round pick can be that player.

Bigger questions lie opposite Alexander in the secondary with Kevin King. The No. 33 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Washington product is filled to the brim with tools and potential. And it should be noted that, per PFF (subscription required), he’s improved every year that he’s been in the league. The issue is that he graded out at just a hair above 61.0 last season.

Whether in coverage or run defense, King has just been maddeningly inconsistent to this point in his career. He’s more than capable of making splash plays at any moment. However, when it comes to locking down his matchup on a down-by-down basis, it’s just not been there for King.

Not only could he use a great year in terms of his next contract as his rookie deal is coming up but King needs a nice season for the sake of the Packers. If he can take a step forward to become a reliable coverage player while Alexander continues to progress, that gives Green Bay a huge advantage in the secondary.