The Seattle Seahawks have one of the most stacked defenses in the game. As such, barely cracking the rotation as a rookie is a tall order, much more so if you're a seventh-round pick and the third DB picked.
However, Andre Fuller has the physical tools that could get him on the field on Mike Macdonald's team. He's a jumbo cornerback who makes up for his lack of speed with unmatched physicality, and he has sleeper potential.
He's not the most polished and might still need to work on his technique to avoid holding and grabbing, but as Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated pointed out, his athleticism and God-given traits make him an intriguing pickup for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Andre Fuller follows a known blueprint for the Seattle Seahawks
"The Seattle Seahawks drafted three cornerbacks and it wouldn't be shocking if Andre Fuller developed into the most impactful one. The former Toledo standout has NFL-ready size at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. Fuller ran a 4.49 and leaped a 10-foot-9 broad jump at the NFL Combine," Melo wrote.
This franchise has a long history of taking big-bodied defensive backs under John Schneider's guidance. Kam Chancellor, Brandon Bowner, Riq Woolen, Nick Emmanwori, and fellow rookie Julian Neal are all examples of that tendency.
Still, Fuller is much more than just an athlete. He played cornerback and wide receiver in high school and both DB spots in college. That's the type of Swiss Army-knife skill set Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde value. They're both creative, and they will figure out ways to get him on the field early and often.
Fuller's recovery speed is average at best, but he's got great recognition skills and, as a former wide receiver himself, he knows how to read pass catchers and disrupt the catch. He's extremely physical in press-man-coverage, and he'll often overpower his way at the line of scrimmage to get an edge over his guy.
While not the most prominent prospect, Fuller's production was more than adequate. He left college with 114 tackles, 37 passes defensed, 6.5 tackles for loss, four picks, two sacks, and one defensive touchdown.
The Toledo Rockets have done a great job of developing their DBs in recent years, with guys like Quinyon Mitchell and Samuel Womack carving themselves big roles in the pros, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren looking like a potential steal in this class. The Seahawks know Fuller is wired the right way and properly coached, and they'll gladly pick things up from there.
On paper, Bud Clark and Julian Neal should be ahead of him in the pecking order, with Neal as the likeliest candidate to eventually take Riq Woolen's spot. That said, this team values toughness, hard work, and versatility, and those are three traits that perfectly sum up their overlooked rookie.
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