Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU
Elevator Pitch
Fulton is a fluid, lengthy and technically-sound cornerback who brings instant starting potential as a prospect in the first round. He brings solid physicality in press and can also play in off-man, and he has more than adequate athleticism for his position. He should be one of the first defensive backs to come off the board in this year’s draft.
Vitals
Height | 6-0
Weight | 197
Strengths
Fulton’s ceiling at the next level could see him become one of the league’s better cornerbacks early in his career.
A taller cornerback with good length along the outside, he has enough size to keep up with bigger wideouts in man coverage. He plays with solid physicality when attacking the ball in tight windows, and he can fight box outs well. That aggressiveness showed up in the stat sheet this past year, as he finished the 2019 season with 14 pass breakups. Fulton also possesses good athleticism, as his hip fluidity allows him to mirror routes and match most receivers step for step. He can change direction easily and can accelerate well coming out of his breaks.
Technical issues aren’t much of a problem for Fulton, as he plays with consistently good footwork in coverage and stays low in his backpedal. He does a great job of battling receivers’ stems and preventing them from attacking leverage points, and his recovery athleticism allows him to re-gain control if he ever does misstep. He offers some versatility, too, as he can excel in both press-man or off-man coverage.
Weaknesses
Fulton’s biggest weakness in his skill set is probably his tackling. He has shown some flashes in run support, but they come few and far between. He dives for the legs too often, and his pad level and overall play strength could be improved upon a bit. It could help him to add a little bit more bulk to his frame to help him become more consistent in dragging ball carriers down.
His lack of ball production is slightly worrisome, as he only had two interceptions at the collegiate level. He could improve at tracking the ball down and placing himself in the best position to make a play on it. Fulton also missed the entirety of the 2017 season for tampering with his urine sample for a PED test.
Projection: 1st Round
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