Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller is questionable to play against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday with a hamstring injury.
However, Titans coach Mike Vrabel won’t need him to play to understand his skill set. Previously, Fuller and the Titans coach spent two years together in the Texans organization; the wideout a 2016 first-round pick, the coach a former linebackers coach turned defensive coordinator.
“Just a dynamic speed player, vertical threat, but he can run,” said Vrabel on Fuller on a conference call on Wednesday.
Vrabel remembers the Texans’ thoughts on Fuller when he was coming into the 2016 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. Houston’s coach Bill O’Brien fell in love with the speedy wide receiver, not just because of his speed, however.
“I remember when we were evaluating him and Billy (O’Brien) fell in love with this guy in the draft process,” said Vrabel. “He said he could run the entire route tree, but he’s also one of the faster players in the draft. So, he’s not just a fast player that can take the top off of it, he can run the entire route tree in the offense.”
As Vrabel notes, Fuller is not a one-trick pony. Fuller has developed as a route runner since his rookie campaign. No longer drop prone, Fuller’s hands have also improved in the past four seasons.
Since the Texans made Fuller the No. 21 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Notre Dame product has tallied 149 receptions for 2,159 yards and 16 touchdowns. In 2019, he has 42 receptions for 598 yards and three touchdowns.
Fuller has no issue being a productive wide receiver when he hits the field. The Texans offense is a different monster when he plays. The problem: he can’t stay on the field consistency. In four years of play, he has never played a full season. He has missed four games in 2019 for the hamstring injury.
Nonetheless, O’Brien’s evaluation and lauding of him on tape is accurate as Fuller has demonstrated he can be a game changer.