Chicago Bears Draft Profile: Could Kristian Fulton fall to round 2?

If LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton fell to round two, would he fit with the Chicago Bears?

Kristian Fulton comes from a long list of names that were top high school recruits to take their talents to LSU. Fulton took a path less traveled when he dealt with suspensions in 2016 and 2017 due to falsifying drug tests.

In 2018, he got cleared, and put together a full season of football. He followed in 2019 with his best football yet, helping LSU seal a national championship.

With the Chicago Bears needing a second corner across from Kyle Fuller, they met with Fulton via facetime in the pre-draft process. Is Fulton the perfect round two cornerbacks for the Bears? Will he even be there?

Strengths

Kristian Fulton has great foot quickness to stay in phase with opposing receivers. He has great read and react ability and knows when to time and jump routes, making him extremely efficient breaking up passes and making plays over the short to intermediate areas of the field.

His timing, balance, footwork and play-making abilities give him a high floor.

Weaknesses

When looking at his measurable, he has good enough size but has less than ideal length. His arm length is in the 23rd percentile amongst NFL cornerbacks. This can show when he tries to press and can get beat quickly off of the ball by bigger, more physical receivers. He can also get beat over the top, as he lacks recovery speed, or the length to recover and make plays on the ball.

He is much better playing off coverage, reading, reacting, and keeping things in front of him. He is very physical against receivers in their breaks, but he does struggle at times in the running game. Not for lack of effort as much as physical weakness.

NFL Comparison for Kristian Fulton

When looking at some of the best comparisons based on size and athleticism, there are a variety of NFL cornerbacks who have had success. Names like Joe Haden, Kyle Fuller, and Tre’Davious White have similar athletic profiles. However, as you can see the biggest difference is arm length.

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All three of these corners are better at pressing with that length, and Fulton does not have that. Looking at cornerbacks with similar length you can find Steven Nelson and Kevin Toliver. Both have upside to be great complimentary cornerbacks and number twos to Fuller and Haden.

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Steven Nelson is a great comparison to Fulton, as he can give up plays over his head due to his lack of recovery speed and size, but teams do not test him often because he plays his role well.

Fit with Chicago Bears

Nelson had the best season of his career across from Joe Haden, and this could be the type of impact that Fulton has as a rookie across from Kyle Fuller. The question is whether or not he will fall to 43.

Many view him as a first-round pick, and PFF gives him a top 15 grade. However, there are going to be questions about his length and the suspensions. He has two full seasons of great tape, which would make him the best player available at pick 43, but he could fall out of the first round with his questions and all of a sudden he could be a couple of wrong decisions away from being in their range.