Draft Preview: Will Fuller, Wide Receiver

From 1970 to 2012, Notre Dame produced just one receiver that was picked in the 1st Round of the NFL Draft. That player happened to be Tim Brown, the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Should former Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller get picked in the opening round Thursday night, he will become the program’s second 1st Round pick since 2013. That would not only be a tremendous accomplishment for Fuller, it would be quite a feat for the Notre Dame program and its head coach, Brian Kelly.

Fuller has been trending upwards on Mock Drafts for some time now.

Below is a breakdown of Fuller’s game, and a look at the skills that NFL teams will find most appealing, and the areas where his game still needs refinement.

WILL FULLER DRAFT PROFILE

Combine Results (WR ranks in parenthesis)

Height: 6-0
Weight: 186
Hand Size: 8 ¼”
Arm Length: 30 ¾”
40 Time: 4.32 seconds (1st)
Pro Shuttle: 4.27 seconds (NR)
60-Yard Shuttle: 11.44 (8th)
3-Cone Drill: 6.93 seconds (12th)
Vertical Jump: 33.5-inches (NR)
Broad Jump: 10’6” (Tied for 9th)
Bench: 10 reps (NR)

Fuller's 4.32 in the forty was the second fastest time of any player at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine.

SPEED – BIG PLAY ABILITY

Fuller’s best trait is obvious. It does not take a seasoned scouting veteran to watch film of the Irish standout and know he is a big play threat, and that his speed translates to the next level. If there were any questions remaining about his speed, the 4.32 he posted at the NFL Scouting Combine answered any lingering doubt. Fuller’s forty time was by far the best of all the wide receivers (next closest was 4.39) and trailed only Georgia running back Keith Marshall’s 4.31.

More important than fast times is functional speed, and that is what makes Fuller such a dominant player. He gets to top speed quickly, he accelerates exceptionally well out of the top end of his routes and he can hit creases after the catch and pull away from defenders.

His speed shows up well on film, but to truly understand just how fast Fuller is – and how he is able to manipulate it – one has to see him play live. That is when Fuller’s dynamic speed really shows.

Making plays down the field is not the only way to show speed. Fuller developed into a dynamic screen player at Notre Dame, and it made him extremely difficult to defend. Teams that crowded him ran the risk of getting beat over top. Teams that played off ran the risk of him catching a pass behind the line and turning it into a big game.

Fuller's speed plays in a number of areas, which makes him what Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly likes to call a "game wrecker." Few players in the country - if any - use their speed to dominate like the Irish standout.

TRACKING THE DEEP BALL – BALL OUTSIDE OF HIS COMFORT ZONE

Fuller is not a high-effort runner, which is what makes him such an effective route runner and allows him to track the football so well. His ability to maintain his speed – or even manipulate it – while the ball is in the air is a major asset. He quickly adjusts his body to the football while keeping it on his outside shoulder whenever possible.

Much has been made about Fuller’s drops, and he had far too many over the last two seasons. At the combine he measured in with small hands, which some pointed to as a reason for his high number of drops. There are technical reasons for the drops, and those will be discussed below when the breakdown turns to areas he must improve. I believe, however, that assuming that Fuller lacks good ball skills or quality hands is a mistake.

Anyone that studies Fuller will see that while he lacks an ideal catching radius – due to his short arms – when the ball is thrown away from his body he actually catches the football quite well. These types of catches show that Fuller does indeed have good hands.

Below is a breakdown of the improvements Fuller needs to make as a pass catcher, but as this video shows, he is more than able to make tough catches.

TOUGHNESS – BLOCKING

Despite some bouts of inconsistency – mostly during his sophomore season – Fuller has developed into a quality downfield blocker. His effort has improved, his strength improved as a junior and his production in the run game was a positive this past season.

The Philadelphia native also proved himself a durable player. Fuller, Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell, Baylor wideout Corey Coleman and TCU pass catcher Josh Doctson are all mentioned as first round prospects in various mock drafts. All four have had productive collegiate careers. Fuller, however, is the only prospect from that group to play in every single game of his career.

On top of just showing up each week, Fuller has suffered few injuries that limited his play. The only significant injury he suffered was an ankle issue prior to the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, but Fuller ripped off a career-long 81-yard touchdown in that game and finished the game with 113 yards on six receptions.

ROUTE RUNNING

Throughout his career, Fuller has continued to improve his game and develop as a player. Nowhere was that more prominent than his route running technique. From his release at the line, to getting faster with his initial get off, to improving his ability to manipulate defenders with his stem and cleaning up his technique on the top end of his routes, Fuller has continued to develop his game.

By choosing not to just rely on his speed, Fuller became a far more effective route runner, which made him a more dangerous and dynamic all-around pass catcher.

This is what separates him from most of his counterparts in the draft. Coleman, Doctson and Treadwell all come from traditional spread offenses with a limited route tree. That is not the case for Fuller, who plays in a Notre Dame offense that asks its receivers to run an expanded route tree.

In the last two seasons, Fuller caught passes on 22 different routes, which is an extremely impressive number.

Notre Dame associate head coach Mike Denbrock - who also happens to be Fuller's position coach - feels that his overall game and route running ability is an overlooked and important part of his Fuller's success.

"He's far from a one-trick pony, the guy can run any route, full speed, in and out of cuts, any of the things they (NFL teams) look at receivers and say something needs to be developed," Denbrock noted. "I think he's way ahead of the curve as far as that stuff goes."

NFL teams have been surprised by what they saw from Fuller.

"Before they sat down and started studying him, I don't think they understood how good he was at that stuff," Denbrock continued, referring to Fuller's route running skills. "They'd say, 'I didn't expect what I just saw when I worked him out one-on-one.' They are taken aback that he's further down the road than they thought.

CLUTCH

Fuller made a career of producing big plays and exciting crowds with his elite speed. What can easily be overlooked is Fuller was a money receiver that was at his best when the moments were the biggest. Even when Fuller has scuffled, when the game is on the line or a there is a need for someone to step up and make a play, Fuller has been that guy.

It started his sophomore season, when he converted a key 4th-and-3 to set up Notre Dame’s second touchdown against Michigan en route to a 31-0 victory. During his junior season, Fuller caught two game-winning touchdowns on Notre Dame’s final offensive drive of the game.

Fuller wants the ball in clutch situations, but as a junior he became far more vocal about it.

“He got a lot more vocal on the sideline,” Denbrock said of his star pupil. “He would come to me on the sidelines and say, ‘Dial me up, I’m going to turn this guy around.’ He had that sideline swagger that you love, you want your best players in the biggest moments to be crying for the ball.

“You want him to want to get it, and that’s something he grew and improved upon as he got older.”

WORK ETHIC

What cannot be gleaned from game film is what kind of work goes into Fuller’s game. For that, his position coach filled in the gaps and made it clear that Fuller’s talent is part God given ability and part hard work.

“To me, the most significant part of the whole deal for Will was the steady progress he made as an overall player,” Denbrock explained. “He kind of came in as a guy who we knew who could pick them up and put them down and run real well, but we didn’t know how extensive he would develop as a route runner and break people down in space.”

Fuller was a rotation player during his freshman season, hauling in just six passes, but he showed off his big play ability that season by averaging 26.7 yards per catch on those six receptions. Going into his sophomore season, Notre Dame’s anticipated go-to receiver – DaVaris Daniels (2011-2013) – was suspended, leaving the Irish thin on proven production at the position.

The man known as just a deep ball threat – Fuller – stepped into that void and became Notre Dame’s leading man. He quickly proved his game was more than just the ability to run really fast. Fuller went on to rack up 76 catches for 1,094 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Many questioned whether Fuller could repeat that success as a junior, but he surpassed it, racking up 1,258 yards in 2015. His game made dramatic improvements that can only come through working hard at improving one’s craft.

“That’s one of his major strengths,” Denbrock said of Fuller’s work ethic and desire to become a complete player. “Just because he has a quiet personality some take that as he’s a little meek. He’s the exact opposite of that, he’s one of the most competitive kids I’ve ever been around. It’s important for him to do well.”

Fuller’s confidence and swagger only grew this past season, making him a more dynamic and explosive player.

“He’s got a fighter’s mentality, he’s got a fire inside of him and its important to him that he’s the best player on the field,” the Irish receivers coach said. “That came from being 160 pounds or whatever as a freshman, he was a stick and at that time he could only do a few things. Now, two years later I think you have the best wide receiver in the country.”

SIZE – STRENGTH

Fuller checked in at just 6-0 and 186 pounds at the Combine. His height is fine, but he is a thin 186 pounds and Fuller certainly needs to continue adding strength.

His lack of strength did not affect him as much at the collegiate level, but I question how it will project to the next level. Fuller struggled against big and physical cornerbacks that would play off a bit and jam him down the field. Even when he was able to get open, he would often play frustrated or distracted by the physicality, which we saw against Boston College. There just aren’t many corners with that type of size and athleticism at the collegiate level, but they are far more prominent in the NFL.

Fuller’s small hands do not bother me much, but his short arms are a bit of a concern, depending on the role he is drafted to play. What it does is limit his catching radius, which is discussed in the video below that breaks down his catching technique.

His upper body was noticeably thicker at the Pro Day, and being a part of a NFL strength and nutrition program – one that does not include taking a full course load – should allow him to make relatively quick gains in this department.

RED ZONE PRODUCTION

In his first season as the go-to receiver for Notre Dame, Fuller was productive in the red zone. During that 2014 season, Fuller hauled in 12 receptions for seven touchdowns.

During his junior season in 2015, Fuller hauled in just five red zone passes for three touchdowns, and he was targeted just 11 times.

Part of this can be explained by the change at quarterback, part of it can be explained by teams defending him – and the offense as a whole – differently, but part of it is also due to Fuller’s lack of length and strength on the outside.

When the field is shortened, Fuller’s speed becomes less impactful, as teams can use the back line as a deep defender. Fuller has not shown himself capable of consistently going up and out-playing defenders for the ball in the red zone, which one would see from a longer or thicker player.

Fuller has had success with the screen game and the slant route in the red zone, but expanding that package at the next level – which is up to his coaches, not him – will help him become a more productive red zone weapon.

WORKING INTERMEDIATE ROUTES – MIDDLE OF THE FIELD

Fuller has caught balls in all zones of the field and has executed an expansive route tree for a college player. It shows that while Notre Dame aligns in spread sets, it is not a traditional spread offensive football team.

One area where Fuller did not produce from a volume standpoint was with intermediate routes and over the middle of the field. Notre Dame used him – wisely so – to stretch the field and to attack with routes built off that speed.

What that means is that Fuller does not have a great deal of film working those zones. Combined with his inconsistency as a pass catcher – which is discussed below – and concerns about him developing into an effective player in those zones remains a question.

BALL SKILLS – HANDS

I had Fuller down for 20 drops over the last two seasons, which has raised legitimate questions about his pass catching ability. Yes, Fuller is a dynamic player, but with a drops number that high it is hard to argue that he has strong overall pass catching skills.

I have yet to read a review that does not praise his downfield ball skills, but the short to intermediate routes have been where his drops have come from. Some also question his go-up-and-get-it skills, which was discussed in the tracking video above.

Fuller’s issue is not really that he lacks strong hands or the instincts needed to be a consistent pass catcher. There are legitimate concerns about his arm length and hand size in regards to his catching radius, but that is not why Fuller drops the ball. His speed allows him to overcome any catching radius issues on the deep ball. On the shorter routes – mostly stop routes – Fuller must improve his technique.

Everything he does is fixable. How much he is able to improve upon his current technique level will determine just how reliable of a player he becomes at the next level, but heading into the draft, it remains the biggest black mark on what is an otherwise impressive resume.

WRAP UP

Fuller is not a perfect receiver, but he is a dynamic player with a great work ethic. It would be surprising to see him fall out of the first round. His combination of speed, production, durability and high character are traits teams want. Fuller also is a far more advanced wide receiver than his counterparts, having played on both sides of the field (right and left) and having run a far, far more expansive route tree.

A team in the late teen's could surprise and take him, depending on how their board shakes out. Most mock drafts have Fuller going anywhere from No. 21 to the Redskins to No. 28 to the Chiefs. That seems to be the primary range for him tonight.

To read more about where Fuller is being listed in some of the most recent mock drafts, read this article by Blue & Gold Illustrated assistant editor Andrew Owens.