Could Washington CB Kevin King be in play for the Browns?

The Cleveland Browns need help in the secondary, which explains why they are reportedly bringing in Washington’s Kevin King for a visit.

As the Cleveland Browns continue their preparations for the 2017 NFL Draft, one player to keep an eye on may be Washington cornerback Kevin King.

King is one of several former Huskie secondary players, along with safety Budda Baker and cornerback Sidney Jones, who expect to hear their names called fairly early in the draft.

King has the size (6-foot-3 and 200 pounds) to match up with the NFL’s physical receivers and he is reportedly on Cleveland’s list of players that they will be hosting for a visit, according to Charles Davis of Fox Sports:

The Browns definitely need help in the second, but the need is more acute at the safety position rather than cornerback.

But King is still an intriguing prospect, who started his collegiate career at safety before moving to cornerback, where he was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection the past two seasons. According to his draft profile at CBS Sports:

"King’s calling card is his versatility. He possesses the size, acceleration, awareness and reliable open-field tackling skills to revert back to free safety at the next level. He is surprisingly agile for a player of his height, however, and could remain at cornerback for a heavy press or zone scheme that features his click-and-close ability."

"Though his more touted teammates will likely earn a higher draft pick, King’s size, awareness and versatility warrant top 100 consideration. His ability to play multiple roles should help King earn a roster spot in the NFL. His size is both a quality and a curse. While big enough to shrink passing lanes, King will always be vulnerable to shifty route-runners."

The question, if the Browns are interested, is where King will be available come draft weekend.

Originally touted as a second-round pick, King has seen his stock on the rise since the Scouting Combine, where his performance left NFL executives all hot and bothered by what they saw, according to Daniel Jeremiah at NFL.com:

"“Kevin King’s height, length and ball skills show up on tape, but he was even better at the combine,” one executive said.” He owned that event. It’s hard to find corners with that combination of length and movement ability.”"

That’s all well and good, but it is always a concern when players “move up” in the draft based on their combine numbers. Why anything a player does in shorts and a T-shirt – especially one from a high-profile program like Washington – can over-ride actual game tape is a mystery.

If the Browns are interested, however, they may have to make a move for King – especially if it is true that teams are starting to consider him worthy of a first-round selection. Cleveland won’t be selecting King with one of their own first-round picks, but with a pair of picks in the second round (No. 33 and No. 52) and a selection in the third round (No. 65), a move back into the lower end of the first round could be a possibility.

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Let the intrigue begin!