Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton: Rebound Candidate Makes Top 25 KC Players

The Kansas City Chiefs didn't have a ton of money to work with last offseason, so they tried to make their semi-flashy signings count. With the benefit of retrospect, there weren't many more underwhelming pickups than cornerback Kristian Fulton.

That doesn't mean the 28-year-old is out of time to change that narrative, though.

Following a tumultuous start to his Kansas City tenure, what's on the horizon for Fulton? How much does he mean to the team in 2026-27? Chiefs On SI is ranking the top 25 Chiefs for the upcoming season, and the former Los Angeles Chargers standout is kicking off the list at No. 25.

Why Fulton Is So Important

When the Chiefs first added Fulton, they likely envisioned him forming a three-headed monster in the secondary with cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie. Giving him a two-year, $20 million contract signaled that, and he remains on the roster as organized team activities (OTAs) continue.

Heading into the year with a $13M cap hit, Fulton isn't going anywhere unless he's catastrophically bad during July's training camp. $5M of that money is guaranteed, so there's ample reason for him to be something more than a depth piece.

Additionally, widespread change in the defensive backfield (more on that later) means having established veterans is critical. Fulton is decidedly a vet, but it'd be good for both him and the Chiefs if he were established better.

Fulton's Strengths and Weaknesses

When Fulton did see the field for Kansas City a season ago, he produced at a surprisingly strong level from a statistical standpoint. Targeted 18 times in coverage, he surrendered 10 completions and 8.0 yards per attempt.

Opposing quarterbacks owned just an 81.7 passer rating against him, his best mark since 2021 with the Tennessee Titans. That's while owning a 12.3-yard average depth of target, which was the largest number of Fulton's career to date.

On the flip side, Fulton could never establish a rhythm in 2025-26. He was hurt coming into the year, then effectively got benched and didn't become a worthwhile contributor until late in the regular season. Durability is a major question mark with him.

Wrapping up was an issue, too. Fulton posted a 26.3% missed tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus, and had a career-worst 34.8 run defense grade.

What Happens If Fulton Gets Hurt?

If and when Fulton does miss time, it'll be interesting to see how the Chiefs handle it. He's no stranger to sitting out games, as he played between 11 and 13 from 2021-2023 after appearing in just six as a rookie. After peaking with 15 regular-season outings in his lone Chargers cameo, that number fell to eight in Kansas City.

That's where the offseason shift kicks in. Gone are McDuffie and Watson, who are now with the Los Angeles Rams. The first-round NFL Draft selection of Mansoor Delane adds starter-level talent to a room that needed it, and 2025 draft pick Nohl Williams could be Fulton's direct competitor for the boundary spot opposite the rookie.

Free-agent signing Kader Kohou is a slot option. A L'Jarius Sneed reunion is yielding early returns in that role, but he does have experience on the boundary.

The blessing and the curse for the Chiefs is they have three outside corners and, really, only two places to put them. If Fulton is unavailable, they could simply give Williams the keys to the car.

Why We Ranked Fulton Here

Sure, there's a world in which Fulton is merely an emergency or rotational man and his Chiefs stint comes to a quiet close after this season. Given the franchise's investment in him and the lack of proven talent in the cornerback room, however, that could just as easily not be the case.

The ceiling with Fulton is obvious. At his best, he's a true perimeter stopper capable of helping slow down X wideouts. At his worst, he's either not on the field due to injury or can't shake a lack of consistency quickly enough to stay in the lineup.

That duality, paired with some still-present uncertainty about Williams' true floor and Delane being a rookie, might just make Fulton a sneaky-important Chief in 2026.

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