Desmond King looking like Chargers found a steal in the draft

CARSON >> Anthony Lynn didn’t have much reason to be happy. Not after watching his Chargers punt nine times and give up eight sacks on Sunday evening. Not after seeing their six turnovers through two preseason games.

The silver lining? That would be defensive back Desmond King, the fifth-round pick who looks like one of the steals of the 2017 NFL draft.

His stat line was not overwhelming: two tackles, a sack and a pass breakup. But by the end of the Chargers’ 13-7 loss to the Saints>, King had earned himself a small audience in the locker room — plus a teammate chanting his name in the corner.

“He’s light years from where he was in rookie minicamp,” Lynn said.

Of the 26 defensive snaps the rookie played Sunday, two stand out the most. When the Saints faced third-and-long near the end of the second quarter, King sniffed out a short pass to Daniel Lasco — and dropped him 7 yards short of a first down. A few minutes later, he took on Lasco again, blitzing from the left side and shedding the tailback for a clear shot at quarterback Chase Daniel.

Both plays forced New Orleans to punt.

On display each time was King’s nose for the ball, a trait that made him the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award, honoring him as college football’s top defensive back in 2015.

But the Detroit native elected to stay at Iowa for his senior season — and after doing so, watched his draft stock fall for no good reason. Whether it was his size (5-foot-10), his speed (he didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine), or his numbers (just three interceptions in 2016), King watched in late April as 150 players came off the board before him.

Four months later, he looks eager to outplay his draft slot. He has good company. In the past two years, the Chargers have struck gold in the fifth round, drafting Kyle Emanuel in 2015 and Jatavis Brown in 2016. Both have blossomed into capable starting linebackers.

King could soon be thrust into a similarly prominent role. With four cornerbacks in street clothes Sunday — including Pro Bowl players Casey Hayward and Jason Verrett — he got a healthy share of first-team reps, most often as a nickelback. Afterward, Lynn trumpeted King’s plug-and-play ability all over the field, linking it to his absorption of the playbook: “He knows what he’s doing.”

King said that process clicked for him shortly after rookie minicamp in early May. He became more immersed in Gus Bradley’s scheme and stopped over-thinking his assignments. Now, he feels comfortable sliding between spots on defense, even between plays.

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“You’ve got to make that transition very quick,” King said. “It’s a split second where you gotta know what you have to do at that position.”

Quarterback battle

Cardale Jones still has a chance to be the Chargers’ quarterback of the future. But for now, the 24-year-old is stuck at third on the depth chart.

After two preseason games, the former Ohio State standout has completed just 9 of 24 passes for 11 yards. After Sunday’s loss to the Saints, a game that ended with Jones’ interception, Lynn said veteran journeyman Kellen Clemens is still the team’s backup behind Philip Rivers.

“Cardale’s learning,” Lynn said. “He’s been here 2 1/2 weeks. He’s getting better, but he’s not there yet.”

The coach added that Jones — acquired in late July in a trade with the Bills — didn’t get enough help from his teammates during his most recent outing at StubHub Center. The 6-5 quarterback led the Chargers’ only red-zone drive Sunday, but receiver Jamaal Jones lost a fumble at the Saints’ 18.