Tennessee Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton has proven himself to be a very good player since the team took him in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, but his problem has been availability.
The LSU product missed 10 games in his rookie season, and then went on to miss another four in 2021 and six in 2022. As a result, Fulton is facing a make-or-break campaign as he enters the final year of his deal.
For more evidence to back up my initial statement about Fulton being a good player when he’s actually on the field, we turn to Next Gen Stats, which had the 24-year-old ranked as the No. 8 defensive back in coverage from 2022.
Here’s what Nick Shook of NFL.com had to say about Fulton’s showing:
Passer rating allowed: 76.2
Catch rate allowed below expectation: -7.4%
Tight-window percentage: 25.5%
Target rate: 15.1%
Average separation: 2.7 yards
TARGETED EXPECTED POINTS ADDED: -12.9
Fulton only appeared in 11 games in 2022, but he saw enough action to qualify for this list and emerge as one of the top 10 coverage defenders.
A catch rate allowed below expectation of -7.4 percent is the fifth-best mark in the category among players on this list. His tight-window rate of 25.5 percent helped him record five passes defensed and one interception on 55 targets. Those totals aren’t exactly remarkable, but defenders are often most effective by making plays that don’t show up in these categories. We can find that detail in his coverage success rate (the percentage of targets that result in a successful play for the defense). He had the second-best rate among players in this top 10 at 65.5 percent.
It’s interesting to consider what Fulton’s numbers might have looked like had he avoided a nagging hamstring issue and stayed on the field more. A higher volume might have helped him post greater totals in passes defensed and interceptions. Ultimately, his success rate and tight-window rate tell us the true story: Fulton likely would have continued to find success over a full season, if given the chance.
Despite some obvious blemishes, with the game against A.J. Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles being one of them, Fulton’s coverage numbers were indeed strong.
On top of the ones listed by Shook above, Fulton’s completion rate allowed (52.4 percent) and passer rating allowed (82.8) were the second-best marks of his career, and his yards per completion allowed (12.8) was his best.
If not for the injuries, Fulton would likely be on his way to a major payday from the Titans in 2024. Instead, he’s got to prove he can stay healthy in order to land such a deal, and his future in Tennessee is very murky.
