Did LSU’s Kristian Fulton show that he’s a better corner prospect than Alabama’s Trevon Diggs? An analyst at NFL.com seems to think so.
LSU corner Kristian Fulton ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, and an analyst at NFL.com thinks that his performance was good enough to change some minds about his speed.
“He had some rough moments at the end of the year, but his body of work is solid,” Jeremiah said of Fulton.
Fulton had 14 pass breakups in his final collegiate season. However, he only had one interception.
In this mock draft, Fulton was drafted before Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs, who is Stefon’s brother. I was surprised by that choice, considering Diggs is a good prospect and securing him might keep his brother happy in Minnesota. But maybe the NFL Combine was enough for teams to think Fulton is a better player than the Alabama corner, or at least a better NFL Prospect. The draft doesn’t start until April 23, so there’s still some time to figure it out.
The Eagles have been linked to Henry Ruggs III and Tee Higgins for weeks now, but what if Howie Roseman believes in the depth at receiver in the draft and decides to lean another way in the first round?
Malcolm Jenkins wants a new contract, and Roseman has been transparent about both parties doing what’s best for both parties. Rodney McLeod is an unrestricted free agent along with cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby.
If the Eagles do choose to use a first or second-round pick on a defensive back, here are 10 defensive back options that make the most sense.
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1. Kristian Fulton — CB — LSU
With Jalen Mills set to hit free agency, the Eagles could replace the former LSU cornerback with one of the current Tiger greats.
Fulton made an immediate impact when thrown into the fire and over the past two seasons, he’s been the highest-graded cornerback in America, according to PFF.
Fulton is elite at the point of attack, as he owns the highest forced incompletion rate in the past two years, allowing just 23.7% of contested targets to be caught.
The Denver Broncos have the No. 15 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Here are four guys they could land with that.
Now that the scouting combine has gotten underway, fans are getting to see the prospects that they have been hearing about in the flesh and on a football field doing drills.
Each of the 32 NFL teams have their undivided attention on what is going on in Indianapolis, but for weeks, these teams have known where they sit in the draft order and have gotten together a good list of the players they will have a chance to draft.
The Denver Broncos have the No. 15 selection in the first round as it stands now. Obviously, they aren’t going to get Joe Burrow or Chase Young at that spot.
So who are some of the players the team will have a crack at and also make sense for the roster? That is what we’re looking at here.
These are going to be realistic picks. So if you have been looking over the many mock drafts that are out there, you will see some familiar names here.
This will also not focus on just one position as the Broncos are a team with many needs.
Here are the four most realistic picks that the Broncos can make this April.
Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama
AP Photo/Butch Dill
Ruggs is a guy who has been linked to the Broncos throughout the draft process, but after he just ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash at the combine, there will likely be a line of teams wanting to get the speedy wide receiver.
Ruggs can flat out fly, obviously, but he’s not just a fast wide receiver. He is a complete wide receiver, capable of hurting a defense on short throws, intermediate throws and deep throws. That is because aside from his blazing speed, his ability to run after the catch makes him a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.
The Broncos would be getting their version of Tyreek Hill with this guy.
A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Depending on what happens in free agency, defensive line could be an urgent need for the Broncos. Since Derek Wolfe, Shelby Harris and Adam Gotsis are all unrestricted free agents, I’m going to assume the team will be looking for find a defensive lineman early in this draft.
Epenesa should be on the board at No. 15 and if the Broncos are looking for a pass-rushing defensive lineman, Young is probably the only better option in this class.
Epenesa registered 22 sacks and 30.5 tackles for loss across the last two seasons at Iowa. He displays incredible power at the point of attack, has the desired length teams like for the position and the overall athletic talent to be a game-wrecker on defense for years to come.
The Seattle Seahawks have not taken a cornerback in the first round of the NFL draft since 2006, but could this year be the year?
Death. Taxes. The Seattle Seahawks not taking a cornerback in the first round of the NFL draft.
That’s how it has felt at least in the John Schneider/Pete Carroll era, with the team choosing to bank on Carroll’s ability to develop lesser known players into stars, most famously Richard Sherman and Shaquill Griffin.
Carroll hasn’t just developed stars, he has worked his magic on players like Byron Maxwell, Jeremy Lane, Walter Thurmond and Justin Coleman as well – plenty of evidence to suggest this team can get by without using early draft capital or large sums of money to build their secondary.
The last time the Seahawks took a cornerback in the first round was Kelly Jennings back in 2006, when Schneider still worked for the Packers and Carroll was still coaching at USC.
Is it simply a case of mock drafters being unaware of Seattle’s strategy, or is it the belief that the team will take a more direct approach at replacing Tre Flowers this year?
After all, the Legion of Boom was so good in their heyday that drafting corners at all was unnecessary; now, with Flowers struggling and the depth behind him nearly non-existent, it could be time to buck tradition and pony up for an immediate addition alongside Griffin in the new-look Seattle secondary.
Of the three frequently mocked to Seattle, Diggs has the requisite length (six-foot-two) and aggressive, physical nature that seems to speak to this team and their front office. He’s known for his work in press coverage and as a zone corner – which would fit right in with Carroll’s cover-3 scheme.
The Seahawks may not be ready to spend early draft capital on a cornerback, but if they are, Diggs is a great place to start.
Even the Legion of Boom started with Earl Thomas, a first round pick out of Texas. Perhaps Diggs – alongside Griffin, Quandre Diggs and (eventually) Marquise Blair will help form the next great secondary in Seattle.
Buffalo Bills select Clemson CB Krisitan Fulton in this CBS Sports mock draft.
When the description of a mock draft pick starts with “somewhat of a surprise,” that might be an indicator that fans are going to be upset. The Buffalo Bills faithful might not enjoy one of CBS Sports‘ latest mock drafts.
This particular slate of guesses has the Bills taking LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton with their first-round pick at the 2020 NFL Draft:
Somewhat of a surprise pick here for Buffalo, but the club does have a sizable need at No. 2 cornerback, and Fulton is one of the cleanest prospects at that position in this class.
It’s tough to forecast how awful or how great any mock draft will be in February. To be fair, there’s pros and cons to Fulton going to the Bills. While “sizeable” isn’t exactly an accurate description for the Bills’ need for a No. 2 cornerback, Buffalo could stand to try and upgrade there.
The Bills had an up-and-down year from incumbent Levi Wallace, and while Kevin Johnson provided some solid depth, he was never much of a game-changing player. Just steady, and he’s a pending free agent.
Wallace will likely be back since he’s an EFRA, and by comparison, Johnson will likely be a more cost-efficient player to re-sign rather than going the first-round pick route. But having said all that, free agency does happen before the draft. A lot of needs can change.
In addition, Fulton’s selection by the Bills in this mock could be a factor of who goes off the board first.
At this point of the offseason, most would argue the Bills’ top “need” is a receiver. The next? Perhaps a pass rusher.
In terms of wideouts, five, in total, are drafted before the Bills are on the board. Those include CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, Laviska Shenault and Tee Higgins. In regard to potential defensive ends, Chase Young naturally is gone early, but other frequently-tabbed Bills targets in K’Lavon Chaisson and AJ Epenesa are also already selected by pick No. 16.
Even though the Seattle Seahawks have not taken a cornerback in the first round since 2006, Maurice Jones-Drew mocked one to them at No. 27.
It’s common knowledge among Seattle fans that – when the Seahawks do use their first round pick – they don’t select cornerbacks.
The last time the team took a corner in the first round was in 2006 when the team took Kelly Jennings – long before the John Schneider and Pete Carroll era began.
However, with mock draft season in full effect and the team’s relatively poor performance at corner, outside of Pro Bowler Shaquill Griffin, it seems many pundits either aren’t aware or don’t care about Seattle’s apparent policy regarding cornerbacks in the first round.
“Fulton has size and is good in press coverage,” Jones-Drew wrote. “His best attribute is the fact that he doesn’t shy away from contact.”
At least MJD understands Seattle’s preferences for their defensive backs, as Fulton does have decent size at six feet and 200 pounds. His length is only average though, a huge part of Carroll’s MO when it comes to cornerbacks, and he has been praised more for his man coverage than his work in zone.
Still, Fulton does have a ton of physicality and athleticism, and would likely immediately take over for Tre Flowers opposite Griffin for the Seahawks.
It doesn’t look on paper like a great fit for Seattle, but with a struggling defense last year and a weak class of pass rushers, it could be time for the team to buck tradition and look for help in the secondary early in the 2020 draft.
The Falcons’ secondary had another year of bad luck in 2019, with both safety Keanu Neal and corner Desmond Trufant ending the season on injured reserve.
The Falcons’ secondary had another year of bad luck in 2019, with both safety Keanu Neal and corner Desmond Trufant ending the season on injured reserve. The 2020 NFL Draft is fast approaching and with multiple holes to plug on defense, many are torn over which direction the team should go in the first round.
Atlanta currently holds pick No. 16. While the overwhelming majority of mocks have the team selecting Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa, Pro Football Focus went a different route.
Fulton may not ‘wow’ with his athleticism or ball production (only two career picks), but he’s so smooth in coverage and rarely gets himself in bad positions. Atlanta could use any sort of infusion of talent into their defense that they can get.
In this scenario, the Falcons would be prioritizing value over need by passing on Epenesa, who would fill the team’s hole at defensive end. Fulton finished the 2019 season with 38 total tackles, one interception and 14 passes defended for the National Champion LSU Tigers.
Last year, rookie corner Kendall Sheffield, second-year DB Isaiah Oliver and safety Damontae Kazee each got extended playing time due to injuries.
Plus, Atlanta still has its No. 1 corner, Desmond Trufant, under contract as well — assuming he returns healthy in 2020. Overall, the team’s secondary may not be in as bad of shape as last season led some to believe.
It comes down to which player the front office believes will improve the roster the most next season. Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff are on thin ice, and missing the playoffs would almost certainly cost both their jobs in 2021.
Cornerback can be one of the toughest positions to adapt to in the NFL as a rookie. It may be too big of a risk for a team that believes it’s on the brink of contending. There’s still a lot that can change prior to April’s draft, though, so we’re not ruling anything out just yet.
Buffalo Bills picks in NFL.com’s first three-round 2020 NFL mock draft.
As the way things currently sit for the Bills, NFL.com believes Buffalo won’t sit tight with the way their defense stands when the 2020 NFL Draft rolls around.
In the outlet’s first three-round mock draft of the offseason, the Bills go defense with their first two picks before addressing their offense in Round 3 with a receiver.
Here’s the full breakdown:
No. 22: DE Yetur Gross-Matos
School: Penn State | Year: Junior
With Shaq Lawson heading toward free agency this offseason, the Bills might look to the draft to keep the defense strong on the edge. Gross-Matos possesses the ability to stack his man on the line and beat him around the corner.
So far the popular pick for the Bills during mock draft season has been offense in Round 1… namely receiver. But the Bills pass on the likes of Clemson’s Tee Higgins, Colorado’s Laviska Shenault and LSU’s Justin Jefferson in NFL.com’s mock.
In Gross-Matos the Bills land the fourth edge defender off the board, but depending on the way the Bills attack free agency, he could make plenty of sense. Not only could the Bills lose Lawson, they could stand to use more production overall from the position. Lawson led the Bills’ defensive end group with 6.5 sacks last season. That’s not good enough.
If the Bills do land Gross-Matos, they could land a guy that many draft analysts consider as one of the more underrated edge defenders in the 2020 draft pool. Gross-Matos is praised as a high-motor athlete, but concerns are over his frame. He is 6-foot-5 and 260-plus pounds, but adding more will help him.
Looks like Yetur Gross-Matos (@__lobo99) wants that 2019 B1G sack title.
The Jags need starters all over their defense and were able to land two in USA Today Sports’ latest mock by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz.
While the Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t in the postseason this month there will be plenty of meaningful football to watch for the team’s fans as they will have the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl to look forward to for all of the draft addicts. The offseason also means mock drafts will be surfacing left and right on the web, especially from our comrades at USA TODAY.
Thursday, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports posted his first mock draft of the year and it was one full of interesting selections. The Jags themselves were able to land two standout players from the best collegiate conference in football, the Southeastern Conference, starting with a successor to Marcell Dareus in Auburn’s Derrick Brown.
9. Jaguars — Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn: No one in college football dominated games on the interior in 2019 quite like Brown, who became a fixture in opposing backfields. With Marcell Dareus a seeming long shot to stick around due to his $22.5 million cap hit, Brown would give Jacksonville a promising player to pair inside with 2018 first-round pick Taven Bryan.
Most Jags fans would agree that Brown falling to the team at the No. 9 pick would be a dream scenario as the Jags struggled mightily to stop the run without Dareus. The powerful Auburn defensive tackle could speed up the process for the Jags’ defense to become elite again like the 2017 unit fans grew to love and maybe he and Bryan could grow into one of the league’s dominant young duos.
Additionally, Brown fits in the sense that the Jags love SEC talent as their last three first-round picks (Bryan, Leonard Fournette, and Josh Allen) were from the conference. It’s a given that they would also be intrigued by his dominance against other elite players in the conference as he was able to rack up 55 total tackles and four sacks while anchoring Auburn’s defensive line.
With their second first-round pick (from the Los Angeles Rams), the Jags were slotted Louisiana State cornerback Kristian Fulton. He’s a player we’ve talked about often here on Jaguars Wire and our own Daniel Griffis did an article on him highlighting his skill set. In a nutshell, his technical skills (footwork and hip fluidity specifically) would make him the perfect candidate to either replace veteran corner A.J. Bouye, who could be a cap casualty (would save the Jags $11.4 million if released), or Tre Herndon, who replaced Jalen Ramsey and played well down the stretch.
20. Jaguars (from Rams) — Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU: It’s hard for a first-round cornerback to be overlooked in his own secondary, but Fulton might not have received his due this year after playing alongside the Thorpe Award winner Delpit and the freshman star Stingley. At some point in the draft, Jacksonville needs to find a replacement for Jalen Ramsey.
When considering Yannick Ngakoue is due for a new deal, the best option may be to release Bouye and convert the saved money into a multi-year deal for Ngakoue. That also would give the Jags two young corners to develop together as Herndon and Fulton have great upside.
Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons is a player that the Philadelphia Eagles should consider with their first 2 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles, like the 31 other NFL teams around the league were keeping a keen eye on LSU’s 42-25 victory over Clemson in Monday night’s National Championship game.
With several of the stars from Monday night’s contest set to enter the NFL, there are guys who could provide Philadelphia with star-power, versatility and dynamic players in the first 60 picks.
The Eagles need a game-changing wide receiver, cornerback, safety help and a litany of other holes to fill.
With Clemson and LSU providing some of the top players transitioning from college to the NFL in recent years, here are 7 participants from the National Championship game that the Eagles could target in the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL draft.
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1. Justin Jefferson — WR — LSU
The Eagles can use an explosive playmaker on the outside and Justin Jefferson is a huge reason that Joe Burrow will be the No. 1 pick. Jefferson can run every route, he creates big plays and his explosiveness would put the Eagles offense on another level.
Against the Clemson Tigers on Monday night, Jefferson had 9 catches for 106 yards, including this video game style move that left one Clemson defender on shaky ground.
