Desmond King II might be referred to as a cornerback after signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of August, but that might be pigeonholing him. He had the chance to speak to the media Monday, and he touched on his versatility that allows him to play all over the secondary.
“I’m going to be a utilized guy,” King said via video courtesy of Steelers.com. “They see me outside, they see me inside, and they can see me as a safety… Everybody says I’m a natural nickel just because I got a knack for the ball, but I feel like I’m a football player. You can put me anywhere on the field, I’m gonna make it happen.”
While that might sound like King is bragging, his stats give his confidence some credence. In six seasons in the NFL, King has nine interceptions and 33 pass breakups, 426 combined tackles, 27 tackles for a loss, 8.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and three total defensive touchdowns (two interceptions and one fumble recovery.) He can make plays in the offensive backfield as well as the defensive backfield.
That versatility also shows in how the Houston Texans lined him up in 2022. Our Clayton Eckert did a fantastic job breaking down King’s coverage data, and one of the key areas that sticks out is simply where King was on the field. He played out wide, in the slot, and even aligned essentially as a defensive lineman. Only one Steelers cornerback had even similar numbers for aligning as a defensive lineman, and that was Arthur Maulet.
Where things get even more interesting is when we check out Eckert’s look at King’s pass-rush data, especially comparing him to Maulet and Chandon Sullivan. Maulet was one of the most heavily utilized pass rushers leaguewide for cornerbacks, and King can serve as a replacement for that role. He has been more successful than Sullivan historically, both data- and stats-wise.
So when King eventually sees the field for the Steelers, he could be lining up as the nickel corner. However, you could also see him on the outside or even at safety, and he might not be dropping back into coverage from any of those spots. King brings more veteran experience and versatility to Pittsburgh’s secondary, and that can only be a good thing. Especially if he keeps making it happen as he puts it.
