Kendall Fuller was once considered one of the top defensive back prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft class before tearing his meniscus before the season, but is Day 2 the ceiling for his draft stock with this uncertainty? In addition, is a position switch in the best interest for his future in the NFL?

CB/FS Kendall Fuller

College: Virginia Tech Hokies
Year: Junior
Birth Year: 1995
Height: 5-11
Weight: 187

Analysis

Kendall Fuller is an aggressive, ball-hawking cornerback who has a chance to create a turnover each and every play. To be this kind of player, you also must have a certain kind of competitive edge and toughness, and that is exactly what Kendall Fuller has as a cornerback. This aura of confidence that Fuller plays with gives not just him, but the entire defense a jolt of energy. With that being said, he knows how to diagnose the quarterback’s intentions with outstanding quickness, putting himself in the best position possible to make a play on the ball. When the ball does reach his vicinity, he displays outstanding hands and a wide catching radius to haul in the interception. Much more suited to be a difference maker when asked to cover anything in front of him because of his superior mental processing skills, but lack of recovery speed to consistently be on the hip pocket of the receiver when running vertical.

Physicality is not an issue with Kendall Fuller, as he shows aggressiveness at the POA in both Press and run support. He knows when and where to jam the receiver at the LOS, displaying good patience and discipline in Press, but if he is beat on the release by a quicker player, he will try to get away with a hold because of his lack of recovery speed. Once he gets his hands on the receiver, he can disrupt the path of his route by driving him out of the play because of his play strength. He also knows when and where to attack blocks when coming up to help in run support, showing good field awareness to maneuver his way to the ball carrier. When he reaches the ball carrier, he is an excellent open field tackler who balances his physicality and technique. He does not lunge at the ball carrier like younger cornerbacks, but he is a smart, calculated risk taker when asked to make an open field tackle.

The combination of his instincts in coverage, mental processing to read and react to plays in front of him, and ability to be a reliable run defender makes him a versatile chess piece in the secondary. People may call him a Press corner at the next level, but I am of the belief that he could be even better at the safety position. It would be in a team’s best interest to allow him to play everything in front of him, either in a Cover 2 scheme as a cornerback, or at the safety spot altogether to take advantage of his mental processing skills.

I have been saying it a lot so far, but the main issue I have with Kendall Fuller is his lack of recovery and stop/start speed. When he gambles and misses, he does not have the feet to get back on the hip pocket of the receiver and will hold on to the jersey of the receiver. This kind of aggressive play style will lead to him being one of the most penalized players in the league if he is asked to consistently turn and run with receivers. Again, I think the best chance a team has at maximizing his skill set as a defensive back is to play him at safety to where he can use his strengths to mask his weaknesses.

In addition, he bites on every stutter step or head fake by a receiver when in Off coverage. He just does not seem comfortable in Off because when he reacts out of his backpedal, he looks stiff in his COD along with a couple of false steps. Also, he will stop his feet in coverage when trying to read the receiver’s intentions in his backpedal, leading to these receivers being able to consistently separate against him in coverage. This is exactly what happened against Michael Thomas in the Ohio State game.

Although I do give him slack for trying to play through a meniscus injury in the early stages of the 2015 season, he also gave up a lot of cushion to receivers in and out of their breaks when he was healthy in 2014. Sure, he makes plays on the ball underneath with his excellent ball skills and aggressiveness, but he does not have the COD or hip fluidity to be a sticky man cover corner. I say he has excellent ball skills when asked to play everything underneath, but when he does run vertical with the receiver, he looks uncomfortable turning his head to locate the football over his shoulder. On some occasions, he looks over the wrong shoulder.

Oct 26, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Kendall Fuller (11) during the game against the Duke Blue Devils at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

In conclusion, Kendall Fuller is an aggressive, physically imposing ball hawk who is excellent at diagnosing and breaking on everything underneath, but if he is asked to play in off man coverage early in his career, he will have immense struggles. The same applies with being a Press man cornerback as he will be heavily penalized with a plethora of holding penalties because of his aggressive play style. However, if you can have him move to the safety position at the next level, you can maximize his skill set because of his mental processing skills, physicality in run support, and ball skills to instill fear in quarterbacks trying to throw over the top. These traits would mask the weaknesses he has as a player and would allow him to play in coverage with everything in front of him as a playmaker. In fact, he reminds me of Philadelphia Eagles safety Walter Thurmond. Just like Fuller coming out of college, he was a ball-hawking cornerback with instincts and aggressiveness, but lacked the recovery speed and technique to consistently be a force on the outside. Even though he is considered undersized for the safety spot, he made the switch and became a legitimate difference maker for the Eagles as a playmaking safety. I believe Fuller can have a similar type of impact in the NFL, but only if he is utilized correctly to maximize his skill set.

Grade: Late 2nd/Early 3rd Round (Free Safety)