Kristian Fulton | CB
Background
When the Titans drafted Fulton late in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, many saw it as a huge steal for Tennessee. After all, the LSU product was slated to go somewhere in the first round, or early in the second.
Fulton brings a strong pedigree with him to the NFL, as he found success facing top-notch competition playing in the SEC. His 29.3 percent forced incompletion rate was tops among cornerbacks since 2018.
Versatility is also something Fulton brings to the table. He has experience playing inside and out, and played a ton of man coverage at LSU that included shadowing faster receivers, as his former cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond told Justin Melo of Music City Miracles.
Perhaps most importantly, Fulton is the upgrade in the speed department the Titans needed in their secondary (4.46 40-yard dash), and particularly in the slot.
The competition
One of the first questions the Titans asked Fulton in pre-draft meetings was if he could play in the slot, which is an area of need for the Titans after the team parted ways with Logan Ryan this offseason.
As we already mentioned, Fulton can do just that, and he stands to be an upgrade over Ryan because of superior quickness at a spot that demands it more and more in today’s NFL.
However, nothing is guaranteed for Fulton. The Titans are going to be taking a look at multiple defensive backs in the slot, including safety Amani Hooker and even the team’s top corner, Adoree’ Jackson, to name a few.
At the very least, I expect Fulton to make enough of a dent in camp to be part of a rotation in the slot when the season begins, and he should also see some snaps on the boundary with the Titans likely hoping he’ll eventually be Malcolm Butler’s replacement down the road.