Tag: Kristian Fulton

Kristian Fulton is last man standing from Titans’ 2020 draft class

Kristian Fulton is the only member of the 2020 draft class left on the Titans’ initial 53-man roster.

The Tennessee Titans appear to have themselves something special in 2020 second-round pick and cornerback, Kristian Fulton, but the rest of the 2020 draft class isn’t doing so hot.

In fact, Fulton is the only member of that group who is on the team’s initial 53-man roster ahead of 2022. Following final cuts that saw both defensive back Chris Jackson and defensive linemen Larrell Murchison get cut on Tuesday, Fulton is now the last man standing from the 2020 draft class.

Of course, not all hope is lost for Jackson and Murchison sticking in Nashville, as both could end up on the practice squad after they clear waivers.

In that case, either or both could receive a promotion to the 53-man roster at some point during the season.

Jackson and Murchison were two of the final three picks from a class that also included offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson, running back Darrynton Evans and quarterback Cole McDonald.

McDonald failed to make the initial 53-man roster in 2020, and Wilson lasted just one season on the team before being traded to Miami following a disastrous tenure in Nashville.

Evans lasted longer than those two but was cut earlier this offseason after a pair of injury-plagued seasons in Tennessee.

Chalk it up to whatever you like, but outside of one player the Titans’ 2020 draft class was a major swing and a miss.

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Titans’ Kevin Byard on Kristian Fulton: A Pro-Bowl year ‘has to be the standard’

Titans S Kevin Byard wants CB Kristian Fulton to aim higher in his third season.

Through the first two weeks of training camp, Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard has taken some of the younger defensive backs under his wing.

Earlier this week, the almost 29-year-old spoke with Caleb Farley after the latter was beaten in one-on-one drills by wide receiver Racey McMath.

Byard, who learned on Thursday that his No. 20 jersey would be retired by his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University, spoke at length with the media following the team’s seventh session of training camp.

Of the items that stood out, the Philadelphia native touched on his expectations for third-year cornerback Kristian Fulton.

According to Byard, a Pro Bowl-caliber year should be the standard for the LSU product after a career year in 2021.

“We have a lot of guys who I feel like are going to be real good X-factors for us. I’ve kind of talked to Kristian Fulton about that,” Byard said via AtoZ Sports Nashville. “Obviously, we drafted Roger [McCreary], who I think is going to be a really good corner for us. But I’m talking to Kristian like, ‘Hey, you’re going be an X-factor for us.’ A lot of guys have different expectations and have different standards for themselves.

“But I say, ‘hey, you, a Pro-Bowl year for you has to be the standard; you have to be trying to reach that next level. You had a good year last year. You had some little injuries and had some lulls or whatever. But a Pro-Bowl year has to be good for you.’ And I think if Kristian can take his game to the next level, that will help out our defense a lot.”

Fulton, 23, played and started in 13 games last season, recording 40 tackles, two interceptions and a team-high 14 pass break-ups, and made he significant strides in his pass coverage from Year 1 to Year 2.

He held opposing quarterbacks to a 51.4 percent completion rate and a 71.3 quarterback rating. As a rookie, he allowed a 68.8 completion percentage and a 91.4 quarterback rating on balls thrown his way.

That said, he struggled to play at a high level consistently. Fulton allowed just under 19 yards per completion through the first five weeks of the regular season before that average improved.

However, over the final three weeks, the young cornerback allowed an average of 14.1 yards per completion, buoyed by a seven-reception, 113-yard game on balls thrown in his direction in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers.

In training camp thus far, Fulton has continued to be boom-or-bust. He’s made some nice plays in one-on-one and team periods, but he also gave up two catches to Racey McMath on Thursday, including a deep ball downfield for a touchdown.

While Byard understands that the cornerback position is one of the most challenging in the National Football League, he wants to see consistency from Fulton heading into the 2022 season.

“You always have to be on point because we give up big plays; that’s what people see,” Byard said of the cornerback position. “So I think it’s just a hard position to play. I understand that you’re going to give up some plays. You’re going to face a lot of elite receivers week in and week out.

“You’ve got to make some plays; that’s what we get paid to do. But it’s all about how you respond to that. You know, if you give a play, don’t turn it into two or three. So that’s really what I want to see from him or continue to see from is it just keep battling the back,” he added.

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Madden NFL 23 reveals ratings for Titans’ CBs, D-linemen

A look at how Madden NFL 23 is rating Titans cornerbacks and defensive linemen.

In its latest release of player ratings, Madden NFL 23 has revealed the marks Tennessee Titans cornerbacks and defensive linemen received in the game, which releases on August 19.

Here’s a look at the remaining ratings release schedule after Thursday:

Friday, July 22: Quarterbacks

Friday, July 22: The 99 Club

Friday, July 22: Team ratings

Titans defensive linemen Jeffery Simmons received an overall rating of 88, ranking tied for eighth at the position. Simmons was one of multiple Titans players who were short-changed in the ratings.

Tennessee’s top cornerback and one of the better young players at his position in the entire NFL, Kristian Fulton, landed outside the top 10 in overall rating among corners. Fulton’s overall rating was a disrespectful 77 after a career year, and that’s just two points higher than Caleb Farley’s.

Elijah Molden’s rating wasn’t any better, coming in at a lackluster 71. If you saw what he did from Week 3 on last season, you’d know why it needs to be higher. He’s also one point behind Titans rookie Roger McCreary.

Now, a look at the players who landed in the top 10 in different ratings at each position, and how the Titans’ cornerbacks and defensive linemen fared.

Note: any Titans defensive linemen not listed here were included in the ratings release for edge rushers. You can check out ratings for all players around the league on Madden’s official site.

The 33rd Team says Titans need an upgrade at cornerback

The 33rd Team believes the Titans need an upgrade at cornerback ahead of 2022.

The Tennessee Titans will be keeping an eye out for players who can improve their roster ahead of the 2022 campaign, but should the cornerback position be one of their focuses?

According to Ethan Useloff of The 33rd Team, the Titans are one of five teams who “need an upgrade” at the cornerback position ahead of 2022.

Tennessee had a turbulent year from their cornerbacks, seeing the position group allow the fifth-most receiving yards. The Titans had trouble slowing down opposing teams’ aerial attacks as a whole, conceding the eighth-most total passing yards. Focusing on the corners, injuries plagued the team throughout the 2021 campaign, beginning with Caleb Farley.

The 2021 first-round draft selection was on the field for just 34 coverage snaps spread across three games. The former Virginia Tech Hokie has dealt with his fair share of injuries, specifically with his back, shoulder, and knee in the past year.

Kristian Fulton, Farley’s outside cornerback counterpart, has faced a similar hurdle during his NFL career. Fulton has played in just over half of Tennessee’s games during his two years in the league, dealing with multiple injuries throughout the span. Each of the defensive backs in this duo are each 23 years old, and youth is a trend among the position group.

The Titans sport Elijah Molden, Roger McCreary, Chris Jackson, Chris Williamson, and Theo Jackson as other contributors in their cornerback room, and each was drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft or more recently. Having the majority of one position consist of players who are youthful and inexperienced could be problematic as the season progresses.

While the Titans should always be looking to improve at every position, their cornerback situation isn’t as big of a concern as the wide receivers room, which remains the biggest issue in Nashville right now.

Even if the Titans were to explore free agency for another option at the position, it’s not like the open market is brimming with guarantees.

The top worry for Tennessee’s cornerbacks group is Caleb Farley. The 2021 first-round pick is projected to take over a starting role in 2022, but he’s coming off a torn ACL and the jury is still very much out on him.

That said, there is also the potential for Farley to become an elite corner. Lest we forget he was one of the best cornerback prospects in the 2021 NFL draft and could have been first off the board if not for injury concerns.

If things go south with Farley, the Titans have an insurance policy in 2022 second-round pick Roger McCreary, but there’s no telling what he’ll be able to contribute in his first season or if he’ll even work out at all.

On the positive side, Kristian Fulton is coming off a campaign in which he became one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL, although he does come with injury concerns after missing 14 games in his first two years Assuming he stays healthy, Fulton will be even better in Year 3.

Also of note, Elijah Molden was arguably the best rookie defensive back (and one of the better ones overall) in the league from Week 3 on and his outlook is as positive as they come.

Tennessee’s cornerbacks have plenty of support around them as well, with an elite safety duo in Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker deep, and a pass-rush that should be elite in 2022 after tallying the ninth-most sacks in 2021.

Sure, the Titans have their fair share of question marks at cornerback, but we believe this unit is underrated overall and is going to surprise a lot of people in 2022.

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6 Titans who could be first-time Pro Bowlers in 2022

Which Titans have a good shot to be first-time Pro Bowlers in 2022?

The good folks over at NFL.com recently named one player from each team who could garner their first Pro Bowl nod in 2022, which got us thinking about what other Tennessee Titans could nab their first.

In the aforementioned article, NFL.com’s Nick Shook chose veteran wideout Robert Woods. Here’s what Shook said regarding Woods’ Pro Bowl chances:

Bobby Trees has often played the unglamorous but essential role of second fiddle in his NFL career. However, after the departures of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, the Titans are going to need Woods to play a major part in their passing offense — at least initially. First-round pick Treylon Burks arrives with great expectations, but it’s unfair to expect him to make a significant impact right away. That’s why Woods will be very important to Tennessee in 2022 as he makes his return from an ACL tear. If the Titans can once again win the AFC South, Woods should end up getting much-deserved praise. Posting 1,000 yards for the third time in his career would enter him in the Pro Bowl conversation, but receiver — like quarterback — is a tough position group to crack. It might take a career year, and at 30 years old, this is Woods’ best remaining chance.

While Woods is certainly a good choice, we disagree that he was the top one from Tennessee’s roster, which led us here. Let’s take a look at six Titans we believe have at least a decent shot to earn Pro Bowl honors for the first time in 2022.

Kristian Fulton: Titans’ defense has potential to win multiple Super Bowls

Titans CB Kristian Fulton believes the defense can be a “special group” in 2022.

The Tennessee Titans saw a defensive revival during the 2021 season, and it was the defense that was mostly responsible for Tennessee’s success in the regular season, as the offense struggled to find consistency.

Cornerback Kristian Fulton was a big part of that revival, as he took a huge leap forward in his second season, establishing himself as one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL.

Despite that, he remains mostly overlooked nationally; shocking, we know.

The Titans will be returning all but one of their defensive starters from last season and Fulton believes that continuity will help Tennessee’s defense be a special group that is capable of taking this team to multiple Super Bowls.

“We see that there’s potential. We see what we brought back. We just want to keep that going. We know we can be a special group,” Fulton said, via Jack Gentry of AtoZ Sports Nashville. “The best defense usually gets to the Super Bowl. That’s our goal and intention.”

Looking ahead to his third season, Fulton wants to take on a bigger role in “reading the offense,” which he says will help him play faster and be around the ball more.

“Just trying to take on a bigger role as far as reading the offense,” Fulton said. “I want to be around the ball more this season, so that’s what it’s going to take. Getting lined up and know what’s coming to me pre-snap, that way I can play faster.”

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Every NFL team’s potential breakout player for the 2022 season

Our NFL Wire editors examined one potential breakout player for every team ahead of the 2022 season.

There’s no underestimating the transition from college football to the NFL, where it takes some players time to fully adjust to the size and speed of the pro game.

It’s why rookies rarely thrive and why we see some substantial jumps for young players over the course of a few years.

There are a number of players around the league who are primed to make a leap this season due to their situation and/or opportunity following what’s been a whirlwind of an NFL offseason, which has featured its share of change among NFL rosters.

From second-year quarterbacks to talented, young wideouts, our NFL Wire editors examined one player from every team poised for a breakout year in 2022.

Every NFL team’s potential breakout player for the 2022 season

Our NFL Wire editors examined one potential breakout player for every team ahead of the 2022 season.

There’s no underestimating the transition from college football to the NFL, where it takes some players time to fully adjust to the size and speed of the pro game.

It’s why rookies rarely thrive and why we see some substantial jumps for young players over the course of a few years.

There are a number of players around the league who are primed to make a leap this season due to their situation and/or opportunity following what’s been a whirlwind of an NFL offseason, which has featured its share of change among NFL rosters.

From second-year quarterbacks to talented, young wideouts, our NFL Wire editors examined one player from every team poised for a breakout year in 2022.

Titans’ Kristian Fulton underrated in PFF’s outside CB rankings

Kristian Fulton isn’t getting much love from PFF in their outside CB rankings.

Tennessee Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton took a huge step forward in his career during the 2021 campaign following what was an injury-riddled rookie season in 2020.

A former second-round pick, Fulton still dealt with an injury issue that forced him to miss four games, but was also Tennessee’s best cornerback and one of their best defenders overall.

The LSU product played in 13 games, securing a pair of picks, 14 passes defended and 40 combined tackles. He also posted career-bests in completion rate allowed (51.4 percent) and passer rating allowed (71.3) when targeted.

Despite what was a breakout year for him, Fulton isn’t getting much love from Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash, who ranked him as the No. 30 outside corner in the NFL, placing him under the “up-and-comers” tier.

After a light workload of mostly slot snaps as a rookie, Fulton finally got a chance to showcase his outside skill set in 2021. He proceeded to post a top-25 coverage grade from that position. Fulton showcased innate playmaking ability with two interceptions, a 16.7% forced incompletion rate (10th among outside cornerbacks) and 12 passing stops (tied for 11th). He is at his best when things are kept in front of him, which is what Tennessee’s defense asks of him.

Treash only helps my point that Fulton is underrated here by citing his rankings in forced incompletion rate (10th) and passing stops (tied-11th).

Adding to that, Fulton had a lower completion rate allowed than the No. 1 player on this list, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and a lower passer rating allowed than the No. 2 player, Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander.

Now, am I saying that Fulton is better than both? Of course not, but I do believe he should have landed higher on this list when taking everything into consideration.

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Titans’ Kristian Fulton changing routine with aim to stay healthy in 2022

Titans CB Kristian Fulton has made some changes to his routine with the hope it’ll help him stay healthy in 2022.

Tennessee Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton had a very good second season in the NFL, when he emerged as the team’s best corner, and as one of the better young corners in the league.

But health remains a concern for him ahead of his second season. The 2020 second-round pick missed 10 games during his rookie campaign, and then another four in 2021.

With that in mind, the LSU product says he has changed his diet — he cut out pork and fast food, and is doing more meal prep — and reached out to veterans for some pointers on how to keep himself healthy for a 17-game slate.

“That was one of the main things, just eating better, making sure my body can hold up for the 17 games,” Fulton said, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “Just talking to some vets in the league to find out what helped them stay through that whole season out on the field. Just trying to do some things with my body, like Pilates or whatever that might be.”

Some of the vets Fulton says he spoke to included Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson and Tre’Davious White.

Fulton permitted a completion rate of 51.4 percent and a QB rating of 71.3 when targeted last season, while also notching a pair of interceptions and allowing two touchdowns.

Based on what we saw last season, injuries are the only thing standing in the way of Fulton continuing to be an impact player in 2022.

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