Now that the Detroit Lions have moved on from pursuing Joey Porter Jr., it appears the cornerback most connected to the team is Kristian Fulton of the Kansas City Chiefs. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN poured more fuel on the speculation fire by offering Fulton as a strong option to tie to the Lions before the trade deadline.
“One potential option is Kansas City’s Kristian Fulton, who is in and out of the Chiefs’ lineup,” wrote Fowler. “He is owed real money — $5 million of his $9.75 million base salary is guaranteed — but perhaps the Chiefs and Lions could split the bill to facilitate a deal.”
Fowler did not clarify if he heard how much smoke there is to his speculation, but there is enough that he decided to throw the name out in an ESPN column.
Detroit Lions Are Connected to Kansas City Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton
Fowler is not the only person tying Fulton to the Lions, either. Mike Payton of A to Z Sports declared Fulton the most realistic option for Detroit.
“Chiefs cornerback Kristian Fulton is probably the most realistic option on this list,” stated Payton when running through trade options. “He’s a true man coverage corner, and he’s only 28 years old. He’s also not expensive. Fulton is in the final year of a two-year, $20 million deal, and I think the Lions could get him for a fifth- or sixth-round pick.”
The Dallas Cowboys traded a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick for Porter Jr. Trading just the 2027 sixth and getting Fulton, who is a quality cornerback, is a much more cost-effective option.
Christian Booher of Sports Illustrated has also tied Fulton to the Lions.
“Fulton has some upside to potentially help a team like the Lions, and he’s on an expiring contract so it wouldn’t be a hefty commitment for Holmes to potentially acquire him in a deal,” added Booher.
A lot of people close to the team and around the league think that the fit makes sense.
Lions Need Secondary Help
Things could change quickly in the Lions secondary. They have a game in Week 5, then they have a bye week. At the bye week, they are expected to get safety Brian Branch back. He is a versatile back-end member and can give the team a lot of flexibility on the back end.
The ripple effect could help the Lions’ cornerback room. Roger McCreary is playing the slot and outside. The depth could allow him to stick to one spot. They have also seen former second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw emerge in the past two weeks.
So, the team has two options that could remain inside the organization. Detroit could also use the bye week to get Branch back and add a new cornerback. Those two could acclimate during the bye week, and they could head into Week 7 with a much improved secondary.
The good news is the Lions will have a week or two after the bye week to decide on a trade as well.
Lions Trade Buzz Heats Up Around $20M Cornerback