Washington Redskins: It's Kendall Fuller's Time to Shine
Kendall Fuller has been thrust into a huge role for the Washington Redskins. But rather than crack under pressure, it’s the young corner’s time to shine.
The secondary of the Washington Redskins took a major blow in when Bashaud Breeland was injured against the New York Giants. They lost an extremely good cornerback and suddenly their depth was being tested.
Every dark cloud has a silver lining, however, and this one just so happened to be Kendall Fuller. The 21-year old saw his first NFL game action in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. He had his ups-and-downs, ultimately finishing the game with eight total tackles.
Expect more from him in the coming weeks, though. With Josh Norman clearly sitting in the number one spot, there’s no need to argue over that. I’ll go as far as saying without Breeland, Quinton Dunbar is the clear number two. He’s shown solid coverage skills and his ability to go up for a ball is extremely impressive. That, mixed with his topnotch speed, makes Dunbar an intriguing cornerback to watch down the road.
However, it’s a black hole after that. Greg Toler, Dashaun Phillips, and Will Blackmon aren’t exactly CB3s. Meanwhile, Fuller’s already shown he can hang, and he’s only going to get better.
Kendall Fuller intercepts Jamison Crowder. Fuller had a nice practice today and looked good in limited action Sunday. pic.twitter.com/1i0mtJ7x2B
— michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) October 5, 2016
With the Redskins defense floundering for most of the season, they need to find consistency. I’ve never been a big fan of rushing a player into playing time. Let the young players develop at their own pace and be happy that you have an intriguing prospect. However, sometimes a hand is forced.
That’s where the Redskins are with Fuller. He’s shown more than enough to be given the rein. He’s possesses good ball-skills, gets off the snap fast, and can keep up with most receivers. Add in Fuller’s good coverage skills and his impressive-for-such-a-young-age instincts, and you’ve got yourself a cornerback.
What’s the biggest plus to Fuller in my eyes? His physicality. At 5-11 and under 200 lbs, he’s definitely not the biggest cornerback in the league. However, he’s tough. He’s not afraid to hand check with a wide receiver, and he’s not going to get bodied often.
He can tackle. That’s right—he actually knows how to wrap up a ball carrier and bring him to the ground. It’s a lost art with a lot of cornerbacks, but extremely valuable when actually done.
Will there be hiccups? Of course. Every cornerback has his bad moments, even Norman has struggled at times. The good will outweigh the bad however. Fuller should get his chance in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens with Breeland out again. After that game, don’t expect many more questions on if Fuller is ready for the NFL.
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