Do Not Hesitate to Invest in Will Fuller
The Houston Texans are a fascinating case of a top-heavy team. In terms of depth, the offense probably ranks below average, but a few high quality pieces like Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller have made the passing unit an explosive, highly entertaining offense to watch.
Will Fuller’s name doesn’t come up quite as much as other receivers in the league. He was selected with the 21st pick of the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, but injuries have plagued what is otherwise an outstanding talent at the WR position.
Fuller has had 107 catches for 1,561 receiving yards for an average of 14.6 yards per catch while also adding 13 touchdowns to the mix. The interesting part comes with his play with Watson. Though he’s only played 11 games with his franchise quarterback, they have connected for 11 touchdowns in that span. When you think about it, that is incredible work.
Hopkins is easily one of the best receivers in the NFL, and it’s a shame that Fuller has had injury issues in his last two seasons, because if healthy, I believe this to be one of the top receiving duos in all of the NFL – up there with a group like Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs as well as Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry.
Now, the Texans have picked up the fifth-year option on Fuller’s contract, so he remains with them for at least two more seasons. Watson is likely to get his fifth-year option picked up sometime after his third season in the league, and Hopkins will stay until after the 2022 season, with a potential out after the 2019 season.
Investing in 25-year-old Fuller might be risky considering his injury history, but rest assured – he’s a gifted receiver and a natural fit with the vertical passing ability Watson presents at quarterback.
Notice the patience Fuller presents against man coverage in this route. He uses his outside foot to briefly hesitate then burst, throwing the corner off guard. He then executes a quick turnaround thanks to the CB being distracted by his acceleration, gaining him enough separation to move the chains on this play.
This is a sensational route from Fuller. He baits the corner with an excellently disguised go route, in actuality executing an out route. One thing to note against this press coverage is his speed and jerky movement on his route break. His break essentially puts the corner into another realm, as he makes an easy sideline catch to convert a first down.
Now then, let’s get to where Fuller really stands out as a receiver, and that’s as a vertical threat. With a quarterback always looking to throw the home run ball and another outstanding deep threat in Hopkins, Fuller adds to the enticing explosiveness of the Texans passing offense when he’s on the field.
Watson misses Fuller on this play, but the way Fuller runs his route is awesome. The coverage he faces is soft, but the head fake he uses baits the corner into thinking he’s running an out route when he’s actually running a simple go pattern. He has plenty of separation and potentially a touchdown in the making, but Watson’s toss goes just a bit too far.
Now let’s get to a clip where the two actually connect for a touchdown.
Fuller uses his speed on this play to burn the Titans corner, who puts up a valiant fight and forces the WR to then go up against tighter coverage. I love the angle and approach Fuller uses on this touchdown catch. He suffered with drop issues in his rookie season, but has gradually patched that up a notch, allowing him to show off his skill set more when he is on the field.
The throw from Watson is accurate and Fuller makes a nice, diving touchdown grab in addition.
Overall, I would have to say Will Fuller is one of the more underrated receivers in football. Injury history notwithstanding, Fuller is a terrific vertical threat who can create separation with ease and uses impressive ball skills and speed to establish himself deep as well. He’s not the most sensational talent in the league, but he’s still a really good talent, and at 25 years of age can turn things around and become a durable player.
What Fuller lacks in quantity of games played he easily makes up for in quality. Obviously the Texans would love to have him available for all 16 games of the regular season as well as the postseason, and I’m hoping for that as well.
Perhaps this will be the year he stays consistently healthy. I would not mind shoveling away a mid-round pick on him for your dynasty drafts, and a late round pick on Fuller is definitely great value.
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