Saints receiver Corey Fuller stands out in OTAs
By Ty Anania
It isn’t a sure thing, by any means. But receiver Corey Fuller looked the part of a contributing receiver in Thursday’s OTA.
The top three positions at wide receiver for the Saints are locked in. Michael Thomas, Willie Snead and Ted Ginn Jr. head the table. Behind them, the WR4 position is Brandon Coleman’s to lose. But Corey Fuller is making a push for the spot.
Almost every beat writer that attended Thursday’s OTA had great things to say about Fuller’s performance. OTAs are a bit early to decide anything, but receivers are one of the easiest positions to evaluate at the time. Fuller apparently made good looking receptions against both P.J. Williams and Delvin Breaux. He looked good catching the ball, and looked good running routes.
Fuller comes from a football family. All three of his siblings either play or have played in the league, including former first-round pick Kyle Fuller. Corey, drafted in the sixth round in 2014, had a stint with the Lions before coming over to New Orleans. And now with some questions at the back end of the receiver position, he has a shot at seeing the field with one of the league’s most explosive offenses.
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From a physical standpoint, Fuller has always been an intriguing receiver prospect. He’s 6’2″, and according to NFL.com weighs 200 lbs. But he’s a speedster. He ran a 4.43 in college and has great explosion coming out of his cuts.
His problem, along with the fact that he’s apparently a weak blocker, has always been technique. But entering his fourth year, there’s reason to suspect that he’s worked through the kinks. If he can emerge as a competent outside threat, the Saints receiver group will be that much more dangerous.
He still faces an uphill battle to crack the final roster, and will likely need to etch out a role in special teams to solidify anything. As I mentioned, he’s never been a strong run blocker. And that’s Brandon Coleman’s greatest strength. Coleman is better than Saints fans give him credit for. But if the Saints choose to carry five receivers, Fuller is looking like an early favorite.