Desmond King’s Smarts Allow For High Upside In Pittsburgh
Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted no time in making a move for one of the NFL’s most coveted roster casualties. Desmond King, a surprise cut by the rebuilding Houston Texans, was officially signed to the roster on Thursday. For Omar Khan and company, the move represents pure upside.
Former #Texans CB Desmond King is expected to sign with the #Steelers 53-man roster, source said. A solid landing spot.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2023
King excelled early in his career, earning an All-Pro nod as a return man and corner in 2018 with the Los Angeles Chargers. But after signing with the Texans in 2021, Houston made the decision to move the veteran from inside, where he’d spent the majority of his career, to the outside. The result? A downturn in production and therefore value, making it the perfect time for the Steelers to buy low.
Although some hypothesized the team might skew young in their search for an additional corner, King’s high processing abilities are clearly valued in an already skilled DB room. He thinks fast and rarely errs mentally. With the move, the Steelers are reiterating that they prioritize heady cornerbacks. Mike Tomlin wants guys who can understand the scheme and execute the complexities of his gameplan.
As corners age and lose a step or two, the ones who can continue to thrive are those who can use their smarts in elite coaches’ systems to maintain an advantage against the offense. In Tomlin, King now has that chance.
The former Hawkeye isn’t being brought in to be deep bench depth. King has the potential to make a significant impact competing for and sharing time with Chandon Sullivan in the slot. His added presence will help allow Patrick Peterson to move all over the field. We saw this for Peterson in camp. Surely anything the Steelers can do to give their veteran Hall of Famer a chance to impact the field the way he sees fit is a huge bonus.
Appearing on The Cook & Joe Show Thursday, Brian Baldinger added to the hype by drawing similarities to the Joe Haden addition back in 2017:
“I’ve known Des a long time. He’s an NFL slot corner. That’s exactly what the Steelers are going to use him as. It was a position of weakness, I think. But Des King is a very, very smart player…And that might not be a bad comparison to Joe Haden and the second act that he had in Pittsburgh, because Des can still play. Now, who knows what going on in Houston. I know this. Patrick Peterson and a lot of guys that come to the Steelers, they feel like they’ve died and went to heaven. I can’t imagine Des, you know, going to a contending team now the way he is with this defense that looks loaded that he isn’t think that this is one of the best days of his NFL career.”
Beyond his smarts, at 5’10 with stockiness, his ability to bring guys to the ground will be huge in a division that features such prominent running attacks and mobile quarterbacks.
He's always had this reputation but Desmond King is still an excellent run defender.
From the slot or the boundary, it doesn't matter… pic.twitter.com/uOu468sBCA
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) August 30, 2023
On his podcast, Locked On Steelers, host Chris Carter described a play he saw King make on Justin Fields last year that indicated serious and relevant AFC North ground defense potential.
“There was a play against the Chicago Bears last year where he had a free blitz against Justin Fields, and anyone who saw Justin Fields knows he is extremely elusive and that if you’re trying to bring him down in space one-on-one you better be ready to make the best tackle ever. But in that play, Desmond King had a free Blitz and he kinda broke down, kept his stance, and didn’t allow Justin Fields to escape … those are the sort of things that he does a lot when I watch his tape.”
All of the above glosses over King’s ability as an exceptional punt returner who averages nearly nine yards a return over the course of his career — a fact Pittsburgh knows well. Calvin Austin III excelled in this role in the preseason, but this move adds intrigue to that conversation.
New #Steelers CB Desmond King once returned a punt for a TD against Pittsburgh when he was with the #Chargers! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/qTzQLxzQuf
— Steelers Update (@SteelersUpdate1) August 30, 2023
It’s obviously a bit dramatic to hype up a roster-cut signing too extensively, but people in Pittsburgh see what’s coming together. This is an extremely talented defense that could land near the top of the league in 2023. Considering what Kenny Pickett and the offense showed in the preseason, there’s reason to believe that side of the ball could see a major uptick. Despite most experts pick of the Steelers finishing in the bottom half of the division, this roster and coaching staff looks primed to surprise people. Every player and every depth position matters in a season like this, and grabbing a guy like Desmond King, with his smarts and tackling ability, is a huge win for a team looking to upset the league.
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