How Kyle Fuller Fits with the Chicago Bears
Published by Matt Eurich on May 8, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
While many believed that the Chicago Bears were more than likely going to take one of the top-tier safeties when they selected 14th overall, general manager Phil Emery went against the grain and selected Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller.
Despite returning their starting cornerback duo of Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings and nickelback Isaiah Frey in 2014, the Bears still had a glaring need at the cornerback position, and Fuller gives the team much-needed youth and depth.
At 5’11” and 189 pounds, Fuller is a bit small for the cornerback position, but he makes up for it with his physical play on the field.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller listed Fuller as the second-best cornerback in this draft: “Fuller is pro-ready, and now that he’s fully recovered from a sports hernia that limited his offseason, he’s in place to get stronger and start working on NFL-level technique that can take him over the top. Teams drafting in the middle of Round 1 will get a quality starter with Fuller.”
While Miller believes Fuller can be a quality starter, it is unlikely he will get the opportunity early with Tillman and Jennings ahead of him on the depth chart. It may be possible for him to vie for the starting free safety spot, but he has never played the position before.
There is a definite need at the safety position, but because of his inexperience, it seems more likely that he will be the team’s nickelback in 2014.
If Fuller wants to be the team’s nickelback in 2014, he will need to beat out Frey and veteran Kelvin Hayden. Frey played in all 16 games in 2013 as the team’s primary nickelback, and Hayden played there extensively in 2012. Hayden was expected to hold down the job again in 2013 before an injury ended his season during training camp.
Emery believes that Fuller can make an impact immediately, mentioning in his press conference Thursday night, “If it’s sub-starter [like a nickel back] immediately as a rookie, that’s good. If he’s a starter as a rookie and you have a hole and he can fill that and his grade warrants that pick, that’s good too.”
“What makes Kyle unique,” Emery said in his press conference, “is his combination of length and athleticism and versatility and smarts and toughness. It’s hard to find all those qualities in a corner along with somebody who has been really productive.”
While it is difficult to truly know where the Bears are going to play Fuller in the future, he immediately gives the team a versatile defensive back who has the potential to develop into either a long-term starter at cornerback or free safety and should at least make an immediate impact in 2014 as the team’s nickelback.
During his press conference with the media, Fuller commented on his own abilities, saying: “My ability to be versatile, being able to play corner or the slot, my ability to tackle. I feel I have a good knowledge of the game and then overall there’s my ability to make plays for my team.”
If Fuller wants to make an impact in 2014 and justify being taken 14th overall, he will have to prove his versatility and become a playmaker for this defense for years to come.
All combine information courtesy of NFL.com.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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