Tag: Kristian Fulton

JT Woods embracing position change as safety transitions to cornerback

JT Woods has the tools to excel as an outside cornerback.

The Chargers drafted JT Woods in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft in hopes of him being a play-making deep safety.

That did not materialize, however.

Now, Woods is taking on the cornerback position, with the new coaching staff hoping it will unlock his true potential.

“They wanted to try me out to see how I felt and how I looked,” Woods said about playing cornerback. “I felt pretty good.”

Woods moved to the position last week and has played there since then, including in last weekend’s preseason game against the Rams, where he logged 23 of 28 snaps at outside corner.

Since making the transition, he feels like it’s been smooth.

“Everyone in the organization has shown confidence in me with the position change,” Woods said. “So, I’m just trying to use each day to better myself and my craft.”

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds and having run a 4.36 40-yard dash, Woods possesses elite traits as a defensive back.

“I think when you do stuff like that, it’s for multiple reasons,” Jesse Minter said on Woods’ profile. “It’s to increase his value and see if that’s a good fit for him. “I’m excited about how he’s developed as a man coverage guy.”

While he has the tools to excel at the position, honing in on the technical aspect of it is even more crucial.

“The technique is completely different,” Woods said. “It’s a whole different world out there. There are going to be plays where you’re on an island, but I’m confident I can handle it.”

If Woods can continue to stack up good days at cornerback, he could be a guy they count on this upcoming season.

“There are a multitude of ways we can use him down the road to help us,” Minter said.

5 Chargers players who need to improve in 2024

The Chargers have some players who struggled during the 2023 season.

The Chargers are looking to turn things around under Jim Harbaugh after finishing as one of the worst teams last season.

They have the talent to make it happen, but it’s a collaborative effort and some players need to improve from the previous season to bring success.

Here are five players who need to make some strides in 2024.

WR Quentin Johnston

The Chargers drafted Johnston in the first round last year, thinking they would get an instant playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. That did not materialize, however. Johnston struggled to create consistent separation and dropped passes. The wide receiver group is not strong after the departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, so Los Angeles will be banking on an improved Johnston to get the most out of that positional group.

G Zion Johnson

Another former first-round pick, Johnson has yet to live up to his billing. This was even after he transitioned from right guard to left guard, his natural position. Despite being next to tackle Rashawn Slater, he struggled to create a surge in the run game and had his hiccups in pass protection. Johnson has the tools to be a dominant guard, but it’s a matter of whether it can come to fruition with the new coaching.

CB Kristian Fulton

The Chargers signed Fulton to a cheap deal this offseason. Currently, he is the front-runner to start on the outside opposite Asante Samuel Jr. However, they need Fulton to come on strong in that role after struggles on the field and with injuries during his time with the Titans. If he can stay healthy, Fulton has shown the ability to be a good coverage corner.

CB Ja’Sir Taylor

As of now, Taylor is the starting nickel corner. But that’s purely based on having the most experience at the position. His spot is not guaranteed, however, as Taylor will be competing with fifth-round pick Tarheeb Still for the job. After flashing as a rookie in 2022, Taylor’s play declined slightly, eventually leading to him losing his starting job midway through last season. In particular, Taylor must improve as a run defender.

DT Poona Ford

Ford is another player the Chargers signed at a discount with the intent of contributing right away. Ford took a step back in 2023 while with the Bills. He only played eight games and was a healthy scratch for 11 games due to his struggles. Once one of the best run-defending interior defenders during his time with the Seahawks, Ford must return to his old ways while continuing to flash as a pass rusher to help contribute to a thin defensive tackle room.

Projecting the Chargers’ cornerback depth chart in 2024

Taking a crack at projecting what the Los Angeles Chargers cornerback room will look like entering the 2024 season.

Over the next few weeks ahead of training camp, I will continue to break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Offensive line

Edge rusher

Interior defensive line

Linebacker

Next, I project what the cornerback room will look like heading into the 2024 season.

Asante Samuel Jr.

Samuel is coming off his best season in coverage, finishing with a 75.6 overall grade in that department. He posted a career-high 13 passes defended and has nabbed two interceptions in each of his three seasons. Samuel will play a vital role in Jesse Minter’s defense, as they will be counting on him as the No. 1 corner. He must continue to shine in coverage while showing improvements in run defense.

Kristian Fulton

The Chargers signed Fulton to a prove-it deal after he battled injuries during his four-year tenure with the Titans. He has showcased the coverage skills to stick with starting wide receivers, but due to the injuries, the sample size isn’t large. He is the front runner to start at outside corner opposite Samuel, but Fulton must stay on the field to hold down that spot.

Ja’Sir Taylor

Taylor is coming off his first full season as a starter after his rookie campaign was primarily spent on special teams, with some starts towards the end of 2022, including a masterful performance against the Dolphins that year. His sophomore season was a mixed bag of results. While he was solid in coverage for the most part, Taylor struggled as an open-field tackler. Entering Year 3, Taylor has the opportunity to really break out under Minter. He will have to fend off rookie Tarheeb Still for the starting slot corner spot.

Deane Leonard

Primarily a core special teamer, Leonard was called on to start in three games last season. He showed some good things, forcing three incompletions. An ankle injury prevented him from finishing out the year. Heading into his third season, Leonard will make money on special teams, but he could also push for meaningful playing time.

Tarheeb Still

Still was selected in the fifth round out of Maryland. He finished his final collegiate season with five picks, tied for the fifth-most in the FBS. Still has already raised eyebrows, as he was a summer standout at minicamp. He can play outside or inside but will likely play in the slot and compete with Taylor for the starting job.

Cam Hart

After drafting Tarheeb Still, Los Angeles dipped at the position by adding Hart, who was a great value pick. He fell because of limited ball production and some shoulder injury concerns. At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Hart is a big corner with good speed to carry receivers downfield and plus zone coverage skills to read, react and make plays on underneath routes. He has the traits to push for playing time early on.

Top LSU target DJ Pickett narrows decision to 3 schools, Tigers in the mix

Top LSU cornerback target DJ Pickett trimmed his list to three schools, keeping the Tigers in the mix.

Few prospects are higher on LSU’s board than five-star cornerback [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag]. LSU hired [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] to land prospects of Pickett’s caliber and rebuild a secondary that’s experienced volatility since [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] arrived at LSU.

According to On3, Pickett has trimmed his list to three schools, removing Georgia from the equation.

That’s not necessarily good or bad news, but it’s one less top school LSU has to compete with for Pickett’s services. The race is now between LSU, Oregon and Miami.

Last week, On3’s Steve Wiltfong said “If the decision was today, I’d ride with the Ducks.”

That comes as no surprise given Oregon’s heater on the recruiting trail. Dan Lanning and company recently secured a commitment from [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag], the top wide receiver in the class and a former LSU commit. LSU losing another five-star to Oregon would sting, but it’s better than a conference rival.

Still, LSU is in need of a superstar corner. It’s been a while since the Tigers landed a five-star at the position. You’d have to go back to [autotag]Eli Ricks[/autotag] in 2020.

That’s rare for a program that became accustomed to landing some of the top defensive backs in the country year after year.

LSU won a national title in 2019 behind a historic offense, but that defense had a five-star corner duo with [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kristian Fulton[/autotag]. That’s the level of talent LSU needs on the backend if it wants to compete for titles again.

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PFF’s cornerback rankings: Asante Samuel Jr. among the top 20

Asante Samuel Jr. is coming off his best season in coverage.

Asante Samuel Jr. is entering his fourth season with a significant role to fill as the Chargers’ No. 1 cornerback.

Samuel was recognized for his efforts this past season by Pro Football Focus, which listed him as the No. 20 player at his position in the league.

Samuel has big shoes to fill, but his play over the last two years has shown that he is more than capable of doing so. His 80.8 grade since 2022 is 12th at the position, even though he has given up 11 touchdown passes. He’ll need to prevent separation at a higher rate if he is to move up the rankings.

Samuel is coming off his best season in coverage, finishing with a 75.6 overall grade in that department. He posted a career-high 13 passes defended and he has nabbed two interceptions in each of his three seasons.

Samuel will play a vital role in Jesse Minter’s defense, as they will be counting on him in a relatively thin cornerback room. He must continue to shine in coverage while showing improvements in run defense.

Chargers DBs coach Steve Clinkscale prioritizing versatility in the secondary

Steve Clinkscale is prioritizing versatility in the defensive backfield.

Chargers defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale had his first media availability of the offseason. Clinkscale laid out some of Jesse Minter’s defensive vision as well as his expectations for the secondary.

First, he spoke about Minter’s system:

The beauty with Jesse is that he’s a defensive back guy himself. We speak the same language. I can anticipate the issues that he wants, his pet peeves, my pet peeves. It’s been an easy transition to teach those guys what Coach Minter is looking for. With him being a back end guy, we do put a lot of responsibility on the secondary. We put a lot of work into those guys. We want to make sure that they’re going to do things right. That’s a reflection of him and I, right away, the secondary. His vision on the defense is that we’re going to communicate. We’re going to destroy blocks. We’re going to disrupt the ball. We’re going to have great effort and angles. We’re going to finish and make tackles. That’s what we want to put on film week-in and week-out. If you do those fundamental things, whatever he calls, we should be able to work. Sometimes, they’re going to give us something that’s going to be an issue for the coverage, but as long as what our guys know what to go to when in doubt with the check, then when the ball is snapped to enforce our separators, our fundamental approach to the game, we’ll be fine.

Clinkscale also spoke at length about newly signed cornerback Kristian Fulton and what he’s seen from him so far:

I’ll be honest with you, he’s got kind of the rookie mentality. ‘Coach, teach me. Whatever it is, I want to learn. I want to learn. I want to get better at this.’ This is a new lease on life for him. You see it out there. He moves very fluid. You can tell he’s experienced. He’s able to adjust. He’s able to put it in our language fast. He’s a pro. When I got here, you think, ‘Oh, college is different.’ The pros want to learn just like [S] Derwin James [Jr.]. They want to learn. [S] Alohi [Gilman], they all want to get better and look at things a little different way so they can be successful. It’s been great because we all meet together. That’s what we do. We’re all DB coaches. [Safeties] Coach [Chris] O’Leary coaches the nickels, corners, safeties. We’re all together in the room. Just bringing those guys together, getting them on one page — it’s been special. I believe in the mentality has to be right. Working with Kristian and anybody in there, it’s just been special for those guys to come in and know that we’re going to work, I’m going to hold them accountable, now. I’m going to get on them if they’re not doing things right, but they’re going to go out there and they have the ability to execute for our defense to be special.

Clinkscale was asked about what specific roles he envisions for both Fulton as well as Asante Samuel Jr. Regarding slot and outside corner distinction, the former Michigan coach made it clear that everyone in the secondary has to be prepared to do both. “They are all going to rotate in there…I’ve rotated them at corner and at nickel, like I said, so that they have that versatility.”

Clinkscale hit on theme of versatility several times in his preser. Another quote on that subject that drove the point across: “All of the corners have to know nickel and all of the safeties have to know nickel and dime as well as the safety position.” The issue of potential injuries and preparing for that by having secondary players cross-trained for those potential circumstances was also a clear motivating factor for this coaching staff’s approach.

When it came to Derwin James, Clinkscale also mentioned his versatility and potentially putting him at weakside linebacker and slot corner at times. He mentioned the usage of the safeties at Michigan in that context.

It’s still too early to tell who the starters will be in the secondary and at which spots, but it’s clear that this defensive staff wants to be able to move their defensive backs around while not pigeonholing themselves in regards to depth.

Kristian Fulton sounds off on getting fresh start with Chargers

Kristian Fulton is out to prove a point.

After four seasons with the Titans, where he first began his NFL career, Kristian Fulton felt it was time for a new home and signed with the Chargers.

“It’s been great,” Fulton said at his media availability. “I feel like everybody is really on the same page here so they’ve made it easy for everyone with a fresh start here so they can come in and really make it a smooth transition.”

Fulton, a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, recorded 25 pass breakups and four interceptions throughout four seasons in Tennessee.

Fulton has showcased the skillset to stick with starting wide receivers.

However, recurring injuries hindered Fulton’s tenure with the Titans, forcing him to miss 26 of 67 games. He is also coming off the worst season of his career, but Fulton believes being in Los Angeles will revitalize his play.

“I think what attracted me, obviously I think the coaching staff is excellent, I think they have all the pieces to be a successful team as far as [Jim] Harbaugh, [Jesse] Minter,” Fulton said. “I felt really comfortable with the schemes that they were going to bring in.

“I felt like it was just a great opportunity just to get a fresh start,” Fulton added. “I wanted to go somewhere where the coaches have the same mindset to win. That’s all I’ve been around, so that’s pretty much what led me here.”

Fulton has steadily been adapting to the new scheme and defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale has been pleased with what he has seen out of him.

“I’ll be honest with you, he’s got kind of the rookie mentality, ‘Coach, teach me. Whatever it is, I want to learn, I want to get better at this,'” Clinkscale said. “This is a new lease on life for him and you see it out there.”

“…..He moves really fluid, you could tell he’s experienced, he’s able to adjust, he’s able to put it in our language fast and he’s a pro.”

Fulton has yet to make a significant mark since entering the league but is working toward changing that.

“I got something to prove every year,” Fulton said. “In my opinion, it wasn’t my best year last year on the field.

“Like I said, every time I step on the field that’s got to be my mindset, to prove a point and that’s what I’m here to do,” Fulton added. “Just make the most of this year.”

Kristian Fulton’s allegedly hacked Instagram account takes shot at Titans

Kristian Fulton’s allegedly hacked Instagram account took a shot at the Titans on Thursday.

Former Tennessee Titans and new Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton may or may not have taken a shot at his former team on social media on Thursday night.

We say “may or may not have” because, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Fulton’s Instagram account was allegedly hacked when responding to a fan about whether or not Tennessee is a winning organization.

“Like I said, you gave an opinion,” his account wrote (h/t Titans Colosseum Podcast). “Titans isn’t a winning organization y’all went to the Super Bowl in 2000 like be [expletive] for real.”

You can check out a screenshot of the comment below.

Via Titans Colosseum Podcast

If Fulton did make the comment, it isn’t a great look considering not only is he bad-mouthing his former team, but his new team hasn’t been to a Super Bowl in even longer (1994).

The go-to in this day and age for people who say things they regret on social media is to claim their account was hacked.

Is this the case with Fulton, or was he actually hacked? I’ll leave that up to you.

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Watch: Highlights of Chargers new CB Kristian Fulton

Check out the Chargers’ newest cornerback in action.

The Chargers added to their cornerback room with the signing of Kristian Fulton.

Fulton has battled the injuries and struggled last season, but he has flashed throughout his pro career and he is still young, being only 25 years old.

The hope is that Fulton can stay healthy and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and the rest of the coaching staff can revitalize his play.

To get familiar with the newest member of the team, here are some highlights of Fulton.

 

Broncos tried to sign CB Kristian Fulton before he joined Chargers

The Broncos made an offer to CB Kristian Fulton, but he decided to join the Chargers instead.

Before agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, free agent cornerback Kristian Fulton drew serious interest from three other teams.

Fulton “turned down offers” from the Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals, according to a report from ESPN’s Turron Davenport. He’s now set to play against the Broncos twice in 2024 before hitting free agency again in 2025.

Fulton, 25, entered the league as a second-round pick out of LSU in 2020. He totaled 25 pass breakups and four interceptions in 42 games (37 starts) with the Tennessee Titans from 2020-2023.

Denver’s offer to Fulton confirms the team’s interest in adding a starting-caliber cornerback to the roster. The Broncos need a CB2 to pair with Pat Surtain in 2024 after Damarri Mathis struggled last season (Fabian Moreau remains an unsigned free agent). Ja’Quan McMillian emerged as a promising slot defender in 2023, but Denver still needs another outside CB.

We are tracking all of the team’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

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