Why the Broncos should have taken Kristian Fulton

The Broncos should have taken a cornerback with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Why Kristian Fulton was the right pick over Jerry Jeudy.

The Denver Broncos opted to select Jerry Jeudy with the 15th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. They actually got to select between two of the elite Wide Receivers in the class in Jeudy and Ceedee Lamb.

It was clear that Denver was going with one of those two, but there was a better option out there (that is actually still available), and that player is Kristian Fulton.

Last week, I addressed why the Broncos should take a cornerback on the first round instead of a wide receiver. The biggest argument was that the wide receiver class is way deeper than the cornerback class, so the Broncos can get excellent value on a wide receiver in the 2nd round, but can’t get the same value in a cornerback with the same pick.

Even though they get a playmaker like Jerry Jeudy, I still stand firm on the idea that a cornerback was the way to go, especially because Kristian Fulton was (is) a perfect fit for Vic Fangio’s defense.

While it is true that zone coverage is usually friendly for cornerbacks, there is still a big hole to be filled in the size of Chris Harris Jr. and Kristian Fulton was one of the best, if not the best Cornerback on zone coverage of the 2020 class.

While on LSU, he forced 20 incompletions (the best mark on the FBS) and that does not rely on his physicality to stick with his man. Instead, he uses his vision and incredible ball skills.

Fulton is the only cornerback in this class had more forced incompletions that first downs allowed, and was 3rd on pass completion percentage with 44.3% among the top cornerbacks.

Kristian Fulton at his best. Recovers from the dig route and gets an outstanding interception that gives the LSU offense prime position.

The Broncos are among the highest teams on zone coverage defense, and taking Fulton was going to be a match made in heaven for the Broncos. With Bouye, Callahan, and Fulton, the Super Bowl-winning “No Fly Zone” would have been on the making once again, something that the Broncos really need if they want to stop Tyreek Hill, Keenan Allen and newly acquired by the Raiders Henry Ruggs III.

Right now, it may seem crazy to think that the Broncos should have taken a guy that at this point, is on a free fall into the second round, but let’s remember that he was in the top five of almost every cornerback top five rankings, and also has incredible college stats to back that ranking up.

I get that it is hard to pass on a player like Jerry Jeudy, and I very well understand the decision, but the Broncos could have still made a move for Fulton later on the round after A.J. Terrell and Damon Arnette got picked, but nothing happened.

With the draft capital that the Broncos have, they could have offered the lights of a 2nd and 3rd round pick for the Patriots pick, or even later with the Vikings or the Dolphins. John Elway stated early on the day that he was going to be aggressive, and this time he did not show that side of him.

But fortunately, as said before, Fulton is still available. I don’t think Fulton will fall to Denver, but a trade up for him would be one of the smartest moves that Elway can make and one that should give the Broncos the necessary tools to compete for a playoff spot next season.