Another prospect who may be available at pick #28
CB Kendall Fuller, 6-foot-0, 197, Virginia Tech
Kendall Fuller has three older brothers who played ball for Virginia Tech: Vincent, Corey and Kyle. That means he has the genes to play at the next level and at a high level even though his year ended early with an ACL.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said of Fuller when comparing him to his brothers, “… the top prospect at this stage if you compare them.” That includes his older brother CB Kyle Fuller, who was taken 14th overall in the 2014 draft. In fact, Dane Brugler of CBS Sports confirms Kiper’s point of view when he said, “Kendall has the natural traits to surpass his older brother as a pro prospect during the 2015 season.”
Kiper also said of Kendall, “He has great instincts in coverage, plays physical and was an All-American in 2014, even though he wasn’t at 100 percent.”
In 2013 and 2014 Kendall Fuller had 26 passed defensed, eight interceptions and was considered a first-round pick before his injury. The challenge for Fuller right now is that he’ll have to wait until his senior day performance to show his full range of skills, because he’s not ready to participate in the NFL Combine coming up next week.
When healthy, Kendall Fuller is a top talent and was possibly going to be a top ten value if he had not suffered an ACL injury in his junior year (it should be noted that Fuller tried to play through his injury and is one tough minded competitor). He plays with instinct, reads the quarterback well, can play both off-man coverage and man coverage in bump and run, although, Fuller is more challenged in man coverage.
When I watch Fuller, I see Josh Norman-potential, who is approximately the same size. He does a great job mirroring wide receivers and did an excellent job covering Ohio State receivers, a team with a couple of wide receivers who will land on their feet in the NFL: Michael Thomas and Braxton Miller, both of whom may end up being drafted in the first round this year.
When scouting prospects I like to focus on the 3 H’s:
Hands, hips and head. Kendall Fuller is excellent in all three areas. His hands always appear to be in the right position to make a play on the ball. If his hands were any better, he could play WR.
When looking at a players hips, I also watch their feet but, if you focus too much on their feet you can get faked out of your jock, especially if they’re standing right in front of you, and you can have a similar experience while watching video. However, hips don’t lie. Meaning, a player can show you some fancy footwork but they aren’t going anywhere without their hips moving too. Here, we also like to talk about players flipping their hips meaning: the ability to change directions. Some people posses the manual dexterity to juggle using their hands… while others have the skill set that allows them to quickly, change the directions of their hips while remaining balanced and simultaneously converting their speed and power from one leg to another. Fuller does this effortlessly.
Then there’s a prospects head. You only get an idea of what’s going on inside their head by watching their tendencies over time. That requires watching a lot of their performances. This is why I called Fuller instinctual earlier but he can also get caught guessing where the QB is going with the ball too early and then he may find himself out of position. Clearly a coachable slip up that happens only occasionally.
What his selection could mean for the Chiefs:
If the Chiefs take Kendall Fuller at pick #28 it means they are making cornerback a priority and it sets them up in the defensive backfield for years to come. It may also mean they have decided to allow Sean Smith to walk away in free agency. Fuller has the quickness to play the slot well and although he can cover smaller slot receivers he may not be able to handle NFL tight ends. He uses his speed on the corner blitz and can sky to reach jump-balls which other taller corners often can not reach.
I like to think of CB Marcus Peters as a Grill Master… because he spends his life in the WRs grill. I think Kendall Fuller has that same potential.
Charades:
Three words. Third word. Rhymes with ran. Second word. Short word. Sounds like twig. That’s it: “Little Big Man.” The Chiefs current tendency to go for bigger corners notwithstanding, bypassing a CB with Kendall Fuller’s skills, roots and resume would be unwise. “This boy is no longer a boy. He’s a brave. He is little in body, but his heart is big. His name shall be L
ittle Big Man
.”
There is a theme among the prospects I have chosen for this piece… they would all be tremendous values… like Marcus Peters was… in the first round.
So, what do you think, Addict fans? Would you be happy with one of these prospects at pick #28?