Tennessee Titans 7-round 2020 NFL Mock Draft: All-Defense
By Brady Akins
Round 1, Pick 29: Kristian Fulton, Cornerback, LSU
Other Potential Picks: Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State — Ross Blacklock, IDL, TCU
From cornerback to safety, the Titans have one of the best secondaries in the NFL, but they might be losing a key piece from that group.
Tennessee cornerback Logan Ryan played some of the best football of his career in 2019 with the Titans and was instrumental to the team’s early-season and playoff success in defending the pass. But Ryan is nearly 30 years old, has an expired contract, and has been on the open market for a week and a half now without accepting an offer from Tennessee.
Whatever the reason is, it’s looking more and more like Ryan’s days as a Titan will be done. That will leave Tennessee in need of a replacement for Ryan at cornerback, with LSU’s Kristian Fulton fitting the billing perfectly.
Despite being a four-year senior with the Tigers, one of the biggest knocks on Fulton may be that he was something of a one-season-wonder in college. His junior season was solid, but cut short due to injury. His 2019 year is when Fulton’s draft stock truly began to take shape, but his play proved he’s worth a first-round pick.
Fulton’s ability to play tough coverage and stick with his receivers earned him a few impressive stats and accolades to end his college career. When he enters the NFL, he will be coming off of a senior season that saw the cornerback record 15 passes defended– helping him earn the honor of Second-Team All-SEC.
Drafting Fulton would give the Titans an immediate starter at a position of need, assuming Ryan is on his way out the door. Tennessee would do well to draft either Yetur Gross-Matos or Ross Blacklock with the 29th pick, but Fulton would be addressing a bigger roster need than Blacklock, and the Titans might be able to replace Gross-Matos with a round two fan favorite.