23 Days of Draftmas: LSU CB Kristian Fulton

A very merry Draftmas to you! We continue our tradition of profiling an NFL Draft prospect every day in April, leading up to the NFL Draft on April 23rd. Every day, you’ll get a prospect profile that includes how they would fit with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs need to add to their cornerback group this offseason, and they’ll likely look early in the draft to add some top-tier talent. If Kansas City is looking at its round-one options, they could definitely be looking at today’s Draftmas prospect.

Kristian Fulton, Cornerback

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

5’11” | 197lbs | LSU

New Orleans, LA

Expected Draft Range: Round One

Combine: 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 35.5” vertical jump, 123” broad jump, 4.36 second 20yd shuttle, 6.94 second 3-cone drill

2019 Stats: 14 passes broken up, 1 interception, 28 tackles

One-sentence bio: Second-team All-SEC in 2019 and a two-year starter after a suspension for a tainted drug test forced him to miss the 2017 season

One-sentence scouting report: Patient cornerback with plus footwork and ball skills that has a positive athletic profile and a high football IQ.

One play:

How he fits in Kansas City: The Chiefs need cornerbacks in a room that lacks bodies in 2020 and beyond. They were able to get by with minimal investment en route to a Super Bowl victory under Steve Spagnuolo in 2019, but adding to the position with an infusion of talent should be priority number one in this year’s draft class.

If the Chiefs do decide to target Fulton, there is minimal doubt to his fit in Kansas City. He is a fluid athlete with quick processing — a good combination for the blend of man and zone coverages that Spagnuolo would like to run in his secondary. He possesses the requisite length and ball skills to play in Kansas City as well.

Fulton is no stranger to top-level competition, making his transition to the next level easier. He faced some of the best receivers in a stacked NCAA class last year and held his own against the majority of them. He reserves some of his best play for the most significant moments — stepping up in the playoffs and in the red zone.

Fulton’s physicality isn’t a perfect fit for what Spagnuolo asks of his cornerbacks. He’s not a particularly adept tackler and doesn’t drive on the flat from an underneath zone with the kind of tenacity that Spagnuolo cornerbacks typically possess. However, Fulton would be playing with his idol — Tyrann Mathieu — which would certainly get the most locked-in version of his game.

If the Chiefs decide to make a round-one move at cornerback in this year’s draft class, Fulton stacks up well for the coverage schemes they would like to play. He would offer an immediate contribution to the cornerback room and has one of the highest ceilings as a lockdown cornerback in the class.

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