Fulton Faces Language Barrier With Titans

Second-round draft pick steps into a secondary that speaks with 'one voice'

NASHVILLE – For second-round draft pick Kristian Fulton job number one is to listen.

The cornerback out of LSU joins a Tennessee Titans secondary in which the top four players – cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Adoreé Jackson, safeties Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro – have been together as a unit for two years. Backup safeties Dane Cruikshank and Amani Hooker have experience in the system as have three other cornerbacks, Tye Smith, Josh Kalu and Kenneth Durden.

At this point, they know exactly what one another means when he speaks.

“The fact that we’re all speaking the same language is going to be easy for (the rookies) to transition, because it’s not a lot of different voices,” Byard said. “We’re all kind of speaking one voice. But I definitely think it’s up to us … [to] just really make sure that we’re talking to (Fulton), and making him feel comfortable as we get to know him, so he can start to understand how we speak and how we talk as a group.”

The last time the Titans had a secondary so well-versed in what everyone thinks and says was 2012. It was a group included cornerbacks Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner and safeties Michael Griffin and Jordan Banineaux.

That year’s draft class included cornerback Coty Sensabaugh, a fourth-round pick out of Clemson. Sensabaugh spent three years as a role player before he finally became a starter in 2015.

The Titans expect Fulton, who is 6-foot, 200 pounds, to have a specific role this fall. He is likely to be the slot cornerback, the third cornerback when in the nickel, dime or other defenses that require additional secondary members.

“One of the first questions they asked me if I was comfortable playing inside and how I would feel playing inside, and I told them I was comfortable doing it,” Fulton said after being selected. “My whole freshman year at LSU, that was my main position. I played nickel and played behind a great guy and I learned from him. … I’m definitely excited to play inside if that’s where they want to put me at.”

Logan Ryan was the slot cornerback for the past three years, although he also played plenty at one of the outside positions in the base defense. In 2019, he earned All-Pro votes when he set a career-highs with 120 tackles and four forced fumbles. He also intercepted four passes.

No one is expecting Fulton to play at that level right away … except maybe Fulton.

“I want them to be able to use me, fill me into a spot, so I can come in and help elevate that defense to elite,” he said. “I feel like that will give us a push to make another run.”

First, he will have to learn to speak the language.