Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
M A Y 2 0 2 4 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M CURTIS JACOBS LB | 6-1 | 243 Projection: Third-/Fourth-Round Pick When he started preparing for the draft following Penn State's loss to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, Jacobs was viewed as a definite Day 3 selection, and possibly a late one, at that. How- ever, he did well at the NFL Combine in February and at Penn State's Pro Day in mid-March. Those performances, plus meetings with individual teams, have boosted the outlook for the two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten line- backer. ESPN and NFL.com both have him locked in as a Round 4 selection, and some experts believe he could sneak into the end of Round 3. "Jacobs can fit run gaps and make plays that are in front of him, but he doesn't show consistent enough field awareness to expect he'll make plays on all three downs," NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein noted. "His speed testing was average at the NFL Scouting Combine, but his over- all explosiveness was strong, which could make him a Day 3 target with backup and special teams potential." Jacobs was a bit bigger at the combine than he was at Penn State, checking in at 243 pounds after being listed at 235 during his final season with the Nit- tany Lions. Nevertheless, he clocked a 40-yard-dash time of 4.58 seconds, which ranked eighth in his position group in Indianapolis. He figures to pro- vide his next team with a good mixture of size and speed that fits what line- backers are asked to do in the modern pro game. At Penn State, Jacobs made 172 tack- les over four seasons. The fact that he played in 12 games or more during each of his final three seasons speaks to his durability, which is another asset from a draft perspective. So, too, are his 9.5 collegiate sacks. Jacobs was a very pro- ductive and instinctive defender at the college level with the athleticism and versatility to add value to whichever roster he joins in the weeks ahead. "Overall, Jacobs is an intriguing pros- pect because of his ability to contribute in various ways on defense and special teams," analyst Greg Cosell noted on The 33rd Team. "He will initially pro- vide good depth and contribute on spe- cial teams, with the possibility of seeing action in some sub-package schemes due to his versatility and athleticism. His skill set projects him to be best as a weakside LB who c a n u t i l i z e h i s good movement to make plays in space vs. the run and pass." — Greg Pickel KALEN KING CB | 5-11 | 191 Projection: Fifth-/Sixth-Round Pick At this time a year ago, you would not have found many prognosticators who regarded King as a Day 3 selection. Many described the Detroit native as a first-round talent, and the consensus was that he was an early Day 2 pick, at worst. But King struggled during the 2023 season, and he didn't light up the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine or Penn State's Pro Day, either. As a result, he's being rated as a likely Round 5 selection, with the possibility that he could slip into Round 6. Still, it's not all doom and gloom for the former four-star recruit. It only takes one team to fall in love with a player in order for him to surpass ex- pectations, and it's not crazy to think that a team will find something very appealing in his tape from 2022, when he ranked third in the FBS with 21 passes defended. "My game shows my toughness, my heart, my competitiveness, and just the way I approach the game," King said at Penn State's Pro Day. "I feel like I'm one of the most competitive guys out there. Qualities like that don't really show up on [testing] times. You've got to just re- ally see it." It is true that King drastically im- proved his 40 time between the com- bine (4.61 seconds) and Penn State's Pro Day (4.52). There is talent to work with, and he has another factor working in his favor in that he displayed excellent versatility as a member of Penn State's secondary the past three years. "King has experience playing both sides of the field and as the field or boundary corner, providing good po- sition versatility for NFL schemes," analyst Greg Cosell wrote for The 33rd Team. "He has a good playing personal- ity in how he competes and plays with an edge in coverage and as a tackler in run support. Overall, King possesses a good mix of physicality and athleticism to be a contributor in Year 1. He can de- velop into a good outside starting CB, especially with his align- ment and coverage versatility." — Greg Pickel Measurements ARMS 31 ½ INCHES HANDS 10 ¼ INCHES 40 4.58 SECONDS BENCH 18 REPS VERTICAL 35 INCHES BROAD 10 FEET, 9 INCHES 3-CONE 7.15 SECONDS 20-YARD SHUTTLE 4.40 SECONDS Measurements ARMS 30 ⅞ INCHES HANDS 8 ¾ INCHES 40 4.52 SECONDS BENCH — VERTICAL 37 INCHES BROAD 10 FEET, 2 INCHES 3-CONE — 20-YARD SHUTTLE 4.14