With the Kansas City Chiefs well underway with OTAs and the summer serving as an opportunity to measure how the organization’s new acquisitions will fare. Among those additions is former Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton, who has an opportunity to transform this secondary.
All-Pro Trent McDuffie is obviously among the best corners in the league, though the play behind him was questionable in 2024. Jaylen Watson’s injury derailed the position group, but Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson struggled mightily, creating a need.
Third-round rookie Nohl Williams has been less than impressive during OTAs, but fortunately for the Chiefs, Fulton’s arrival gives the defense plenty of options in the secondary.
The most slept-on addition to the Chiefs this offseason? Kristian Fulton 😤🔥
Fast, instinctive, and aggressive at the catch point — he’s built for a Spags defense 💥
He posted a 71.1 PFF grade last year… higher than every Chiefs CB not named McDuffie 🔒📈 pic.twitter.com/S7gruiaBHa
https://twitter.com/Daily_Chiefs_/status/1931047110117642635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton Already Making a Major Impact on Kansas City
Kansas City signed Fulton to a two-year, $20 million contract, poaching him from an AFC West rival in the Chargers. Fulton ranked 40th out of 222 qualified cornerbacks at Pro Football Focus last season, giving the Chiefs three of the top 45 players at the position based on those evaluations.
His arrival will let McDuffie play more in the slot, where he emerged as an elite corner earlier in his career. Watson and Fulton will presumably play on the outside, and the defense as a whole should be much improved by having three great corners.
Losing Justin Reid at the safety position hurts, but by making the cornerback room better, his loss will be mitigated. Keeping Joshua Williams and Johnson off the field will offer benefits by virtue of addition by subtraction and if Nohl Williams turns things around, Kansas City may suddenly have the best cornerback group in the NFL.
Still just 26 years old, Fulton has tremendous upside and should immediately make defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit better. Despite having three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, defense has become the Chiefs’ calling card in recent years.
If Fulton pays off like fans expect him to, this will once again be a team competing for a Super Bowl in 2025.
