We have to wonder who the Green Bay Packers would have taken with their first 2017 NFL Draft selection if it hand’t been cornerback Kevin King.
While the Packers were trading backwards, out of the first round, the San Francisco 49ers were talking about trading up. The 49ers discussed acquiring a second first-round pick to nab King, who the Packers ultimately took with the first pick of the second round.
Over-caffeinated nuggetologist Peter King was with the 49ers during the draft. Here was the discussing between GM John Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan and VP of player personnel Adam Peters.
Lynch: “I think Kevin could possibly be a move up, based upon if we gather picks and move up into the first round and, you know, you get a guy with another fifth-year option.”
Shanahan: “Kevin is a goal if we had the 32nd pick.”
Peters: “Not in the twenties, even?”
Shanahan: “To me, if we gained a bunch of stuff then we need to debate whether to move up into the twenties. I personally … I know King’s the best, but when you talk about guys like [Colorado cornerback] Ahkello Witherspoon possibly in the third or even [West Virginia cornerback] Rasul Douglas—like, we all know King is the best. [But] not a huge difference in getting the other guys.”
Lynch: “King is a little different though.”
Shanahan: “If all we needed is one guy, it’s a huge difference. King is definitely better. We need as many guys as we can, so … I’m hoping we can get [Ohio pass-rusher Tarell] Basham also. Now it’s not life or death, I’d rather risk getting the lesser guy to have more guys.”
What’s really interesting are their thoughts on King — how they mention that he’s different.
King is a little different. Great athleticism, great speed. We’ll have to see how that translates to the field in Green Bay, but would the Packers gotten their corner if the 49ers had nabbed King first?
It’s probably good we didn’t have to find out.
Wonder no more!
It has already been reported by media in the Packers draft room that they debated at pick #33 whether to select Kevin King or RB Dalvin Cook. It was down to just those two. Obviously if King was no longer available they would have taken Cook. So… wonder no more.
The fact that John Lynch, a former all pro defensive back thought that highly of King gives me a little hope that this might actually be a good TTpick
I must be missing something. The 49ers did jump the Packers, but didn’t take King. The 49ers moved ahead of the Packers when they traded back into round one, pick 31. The trade with Seattle jumped the Packers who had moved to pick 33. The 49ers took Foster. So how did the 49ers ALMOST jump the Packers for Kevin King?
I read that Peter King novel and that much internal discussion, and process is more than I think should be out for other teams consumption.
It is a good point about that jump for Foster. I also wondered. Unless this whole thing is entirely off all I can think is that the 49ers were thinking they could package other picks to move up to #32 and get a 3rd 1st rounder. But they would have had to give up almost all their other picks — #3, #3, #4, #5, and #5 at the least. I guess they could have offered their 1st rounder next year but that also seems far-fetched.
They could have had King at #31 and instead took that POS Foster. Drug suspicions. Slow. Small. Major injury concerns. At a position of lesser importance. Foster belonged in RD 4. Sooooo…. they preferred a 4th rounder over King soooooo…….
This whole 49ers wanted to jump up to get King seems more like the product of peyote overindulgence than actual truth. Maybe they were talking about moving up to end of round 2 with their two thirds if King was still available at 58-60?