Desmond King

Cornerback| Iowa| Senior

Height:5-foot-10*|Weight: *201 pounds

College Stats

2016: recorded 58 tackles (42 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups and three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) in 13 games; returned 26 punts 264 yards; returned 27 kickoffs 750 yards (27.8 yards per kickoff return led the Big Ten)

Career:recorded 263 tackles (174 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, 33 pass breakups and 14 interceptions (three returned for a touchdown) in a school-record 53 games (also started a school-record 51); won the Jim Thorpe Award, was one of five finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, and was named a Consensus All-American after the 2015 season in which he recorded eight interceptions to tie a single-season school record (Nile Kinnick — the namesake of Kinnick Stadium — in 1939 and Lou King in 1981); First-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2015 and 2016

Combine Results

40-yard dash: did not participate (abdominal strain)

Bench press: 14 reps of 225 pounds

Broad jump: 9 feet, 9 inches

Vertical jump: 34 inches
3-cone drill: 6.67 seconds (fastest among safeties and third among DBs)

20-yard shuttle: 4.18 seconds (tied for fourth among safeties and tied for 13th among DBs)

60-yard shuttle: 11.57 seconds (fifth among safeties and eighth among DBs

Profile

Summary:Some have wondered if King's size might make him better suited to play safety instead of cornerback in the NFL, despite his extensive experience (school records of 51 starts and 53 games) at corner. King worked at cornerback during Senior Bowl practices but was listed as a safety during workouts at the combine.

King said at the combine that he believes he can play corner, safety or nickel.

"To me, I just felt like the versatility that I have and my ability, I feel like I can play any position in the secondary," King said. "That's a good thing. That's a plus for me and a positive asset for me. What I know, the defensive backfield at Iowa, the whole secondary, we all learn each other's positions. Corner, nickel and safety. We just share what we know."

In any case, King has shown ball skills at multiple levels. He established the Michigan High School Athletic Association record with 29 career interceptions while at East English Village Academy. King opted to return for his senior season and complete his degree, double-majoring in African-American studies and broadcast journalism.

Stacking up: King was not ranked by NFL Media analysts Mike Mayock, Bucky Brooks or Daniel Jeremiah in their lists of top prospects.

Rare combo:King is the only Big Ten player in the past 20 years to have 12 or more interceptions and 1,500 or more combined kickoff and return yards. His 1,962 combined return yards ranks third in Iowa history, and his 14 interceptions are tied for fourth-most by a Hawkeye.* *