NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah was on ESPN 970 with David Todd yesterday talking about various draft prospects, and the possibilities for different teams in the first round. On the subject of cornerbacks, Jeremiah claimed that he’s been told that the Steelers will select Kyle Fuller.

The former NFL scout didn’t say who the source was, but said the person he talked to told him, “if you’re looking for Pittsburgh, and what Pittsburgh’s going to do, I’m telling you right now, they’re going to take Kyle Fuller.” Jeremiah continued, “That’s what some people in the league feel like, just with how he fits with what they do, and the needs that they have. That’s the name I was given.”

While I certainly agree about Fuller’s talents, and how he’d fit schematically, it’s worth noting that he may have been talking to his neighbor, or the guy in line behind him at Starbucks. The Steelers obviously aren’t tipping their hand to anyone. It’s no secret that cornerback is a need, and they’ve certainly shown they believe so too, by hosting several prospects at the South Side.

Fuller is (and has been) one of my favorite corners for the Steelers. While he doesn’t quite get the media hype that Gilbert and Dennard do, he’s really more talented than one of them. A natural football player, Fuller saw time at linebacker, cornerback (both inside and outside) and safety during his career at Virginia Tech. He also played hybrid spots of the three positions.

Here’s my write up on Fuller from the week of his visit with the Steelers. http://thesteelersfans.com/2423/steelers-draft-visits-cb-kyle-fuller-scheduled-week/

Here is the audio from the interview with Daniel Jeremiah.

[xyz-ihs snippet=”DanielJeremiahFuller”]

According to NFL draft analyst Gil Brandt, Kyle Fuller has a visit scheduled with the Steelers later this week.

#VaTech CB Kyle Fuller has had 15 visits or workouts. Has 4 more this week: #Jets, #Broncos, #Rams, #Steelers.

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) April 21, 2014

Fuller is a legitimate first round pick at cornerback, who’s name is not Gilbert or Dennard. The Virginia Tech senior totaled 24 tackles, 2 interceptions, and had 10 passes broken up in 2013. These stats are from only 7 games though, as he battled with injuries, and missed the rest of the season after having surgery in November to repair a core muscle tear.

The 5’11”, 190 lb CB ran a 4.49 at the combine. He has excellent ball awareness, and plays aggressively. Sometimes, he’s a little too aggressive though, as he can be fooled at times by receivers with a good double move. Here’s a great example of Fuller making an aggressive play on the ball.

Fuller played a lot of zone at Virginia Tech, but also played a good amount of man coverage as well. I’ve referenced Greg Peshek’s CB metrics articles before, and while the metrics are not ideal due to Fuller’s injury, there are a couple intriguing stats to look at. During his playing time last year, Fuller had his hand on the ball more frequently than both Darqueze Dennard and Justin Gilbert. His burn rate was also lower than both of theirs.

Fuller will almost certainly make an immediate contribution his rookie year. He’s a solid special teams contributor who likes get physical, and he’ll no doubt see his playing time increase as the season progresses.

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