The Steelers are reportedly adding some depth at cornerback.
Former NFL GM Doug Whaley reacts to King signing
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are signing Desmond King, who was released by the Houston Texans on Tuesday.
Looking at the numbers, King is a great add to the Steelers.
PM Team’s Chris Mueller did some digging and he found that Pro Football Focus had King graded last year at 71.8.
“That would have been the best mark for a Steelers CB last year, narrowly beating out Cam Sutton's 70.4,” said Mueller.
“Additionally, King was almost exclusively a slot corner from Weeks 1-9 last year, then jumped almost exclusively outside from Week 10 on. 334 slot CB snaps, 505 as a wide CB. And as you know, versatility has been the name of the game,” added Mueller.
In six seasons, he picked off nine passes, two returned for touchdowns. King was all-pro in 2018.
“This is the Joe Haden of slot corner signings, it’s manna from Heaven, it’s a missing piece on the defense that (Steelers General Manager) Omar (Khan) the miracle worker has just fixed,” said Joe Starkey.
Texans writer Brett Hawn wrote on the ToroTimes that the Texans made a mistake cutting King.
“King’s prior production did not warrant his spot on the chopping block and came completely out of left field. Additionally, for a rebuilding team like the Houston Texans, hanging onto every valuable depth piece is a necessity to lay down the foundation.”
The 28-year-old King was taken in the 5th round of the 2017 draft by the then Los Angeles Chargers.