What will Will Fuller need to improve upon in order to find success at the NFL level?
The Houston Texans selected Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller with the 21st selection of the NFL Draft. Fuller, a junior, was the second wide receiver taken in the draft, behind only the Cleveland Browns’ Corey Coleman.
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Fuller is known for his blistering speed, a trait that was on display at the combine when he ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash. Finally with a speed element, the Texans’ offense hopes to alleviate defensive pressure on both wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and quarterback Brock Osweiler.
While Fuller could potentially replicate the success that other speed receivers have displayed in the past – such as DeSean Jackson or Mike Wallace – he likely is going to have a difficult time achieving it with Osweiler at quarterback.
Quarterbacks with the lowest deep ball accuracy in 2015: 1.Marcus Mariota 20.4%, 2.Brock Osweiler 26.7% 3.Peyton Manning 28.6%
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) March 9, 2016
It’s often difficult to catch the deep ball when the quarterback can’t get it to you. Last season Osweiler had nine completions of over 20 yards where the ball traveled more than 15 yards in the air. That was fewer than Johnny Manziel or Jimmy Clausen.
While Osweiler might not be efficient throwing the ball deep with regularity, Fuller’s fantasy impact extends far beyond himself. For the first time in Hopkins’ young career, he now has a wide receiver that can blow the top off the defense.
What head coach Bill O’Brien hopes is that Fuller’s speed results in less double-coverage of Hopkins. It could also allow second-year receiver Jaelen Strong the opportunity to capitalize on single-coverage. Running back Lamar Miller will likely have many opportunities to match up against linebackers in pass coverage with defenses stretching thin.
The benefit to teammates will rely on Fuller improving his consistency, or lack thereof, of catching the football. The quoted excerpt tells me that it’s not in the forefront of his mind.
“I got over 140 catches in my career,” Fuller said, without an air of defensiveness during a conference call with Houston reporters. “I’m a football player, that’s what I like to tell people. It doesn’t matter if I catch the ball with my body or my hand. A catch is a catch. I’m going to work at it my hardest to make everything look more fluid. I’m just coming in trying to help the team win.”
Matt Waldman further explored Fuller’s propensity for trapping the ball and explains why this technique will need to be adjusted at the next level. Having Hopkins as a teammate allows Fuller to learn from one of the best young receivers in the NFL. It could be a rough beginning to Fuller’s career, and he offers boom-or-bust potential near the tail-end of the first round in rookie drafts.
At 6’0″ and 186 pounds, he has the speed of DeSean Jackson with the size of Emmanuel Sanders. Fuller could offer immense upside for patient dynasty owners, but it’s more likely he follows the same fantasy path as Ted Ginn Jr. Rookies such as Pharoh Cooper or Braxton Miller offer much more upside at a much more affordable cost.
Matt Giraldi is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Matt, check out his archive or follow him @Mgiraldi.
