GREEN BAY – The Packers' top 2017 draft pick, cornerback Kevin King, saw his playing time increase considerably from Week 1 to Week 2.
King went from playing a handful of defensive snaps vs. Seattle to a few dozen in Atlanta, and a quick review of his work would indicate he's in line to continue playing more as his rookie season continues.
In chronological order from Sunday night's game, here are a half dozen of King's notable snaps.
Play No. 1: First-and-10 from the Green Bay 39, second quarter, 14:11 left
Result: Incomplete pass
King is lined up across from WR Andre Roberts (19), who runs a shallow cross through the middle of the field. The thing to watch here is King's closing speed, because Roberts clearly has a step on him at first, but by the time Falcons QB Matt Ryan gets the throw away, King's speed has made up the necessary ground.
Play No. 2: First-and-goal from the Green Bay 2, second quarter, 11:17 left
Result: Incomplete pass
Pressed up against WR Julio Jones (11) this time, King gets tested by Ryan and his favorite target, as Jones runs a simple out cut to the front pylon. King doesn't give an inch, though, and is right on Jones' hip as the pass sails by. A play like this against a 6-3, 220-pound receiver with Jones' ball skills is incredibly difficult to stop, and a perfect pass is probably still a touchdown, but that's the point. King forced Ryan to throw a perfect pass, and in this case he didn't.
Play No. 3: Third-and-5 from the Green Bay 23, second quarter, 4:05 left
Result: 10-yard sack of Ryan by LB Clay Matthews
Give credit to the coverage across the board, including King's, to allow Matthews an extra second to get home. WR Justin Hardy (14) runs a sideline go on King, who does the job one-on-one. Watching Ryan in the pocket, it appears his second read is a glance over at Hardy, but he's not going to risk it with King right there, and Matthews takes the QB down.
Play No. 4: Second-and-9 from the Atlanta 45, second quarter, 1:26 left
Result: Incomplete pass
Another shallow cross to contend with, but this one is against Jones coming from the slot. The key for King is to not get knocked off stride by WR Mohamed Sanu (12) and CB Damarious Randall (23) crossing the other way. King's footwork and body control are just right, and he gets a hand in there to knock away the short pass.
Play No. 5: First-and-10 from the Green Bay 43, third quarter, 7:32 left
Result: Incomplete pass
Here's a deep over route from Hardy, who goes from the (offensive) left slot to the right sideline. S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is helping on WR Taylor Gabriel in the deep middle, so King is all alone. The pass could have been completed, but again, King's solid coverage forced the throw to be perfect.
Play No. 6: Second-and-4 from the Green Bay 27, third quarter, 5:46 left
Result: Completed pass for no gain
This is another example of King's anticipation and closing speed. He doesn't have a wide receiver running a route on his side, but as RB Tevin Coleman (26) leaks out of the backfield, King reacts quickly and closes in a hurry to upend Coleman in the open field, right at the line of scrimmage.
