Desmond King may be the best dual-threat player in the NFL, but he has yet to enough attention and respect around the league just yet.
Desmond King, a former fifth-round selection of the 2017 NFL Draft, has overplayed his draft position more than Tom Telesco could have ever imagined. It’s one thing to dominate as a slot corner receiver who is both a strong tackler and and a scorer on defense, but it’s almost unheard of to do that on top of being a game-changing kick and punt returner. For his efforts in 2018, King was selected as an All-Pro at two separate positions; however, he was not voted to the Pro-Bowl. And as of right now, and likely through the rest of the countdown, King is not on the player-voted NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 list.
It is possible for him to be on this list, but with only 30 left and Derwin James already revealed at 31 only Philip Rivers is expected to show up from here on out. Many thought King would be a lock to make the list, even if he wasn’t particularly high in the rankings, because he made multiple highlight plays against top-notch opponents, some of them in prime time games.
Though King can always hold his head high for his regularly outstanding performance on the football field, it’s hard for fans to see such a talented player not earn the respect he deserves just yet. Unfortunately for King, he’s at best the third name mentioned when discussing the Chargers’ defense. With another strong 2019 campaign, however, King should undoubtedly make the list next offseason.