San Francisco 49ers Free Agent Option Number One: Kyle Fuller

The San Francisco 49ers, with the 2018 NFL Free Agency Period looming, need some key additions. Today we look at cornerback Kyle Fuller!

The San Francisco 49ers are coming off one of the most bizarre seasons in recent memory. They started off the season with a franchise-worst start with a record of 0-9. After notching a win — followed by another loss — newly acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo got his first start, and everything changed for the better.

The 49ers finished the season on a five game winning streak and ended the season with an overall record of 6-10.

With this streak and the hype surrounding Garoppolo, some believe the 49ers are possible playoff contenders next season. But for that optimistic buzz to become a reality, more improvements are needed to the roster.

One position of interest is the cornerback position, which was reviewed on Golden Gate Sports here.

Ahkello Witherspoon was one of the most impressive corner backs for the 49ers last season, but he’s only entering his sophomore season.

With fellow starting corner back Dontae Johnson heading towards free agency, the 49ers should look to this period to bring in some new talent.

Enter corner back Kyle Fuller.

The Player

Kyle Fuller is a five-foot-eleven, 190 pound corner who was born on February 16th, 1992 in Baltimore, Maryland. He went to college at Virginia Tech and was later taken by the Chicago Bears in the 2014 NFL Draft as the 14th overall pick.

Fuller has been with the Chicago Bears since the 2014 season and has been impressive every year. Especially in games against the 49ers.

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Against San Francisco

Back in the 2014 season, when the Bears defeated the 49ers 28-20, Fuller had seven tackles and two interceptions. His seven tackles and two interceptions were the most he had in any game of that season.

During the 2015 season, when the Bears fell to the 49ers 26-20 in overtime, Fuller registered four tackles and had one pass defensed.

Most recently, in 2017 against Garoppolo, Fuller recorded a season high in tackles with seven, including one stuff (yards lost on a running play), one interception (ripped it out of the receiver’s hand), and two passed defensed.

The Bears would lose to San Francisco 14-15.

Career Stats

Fuller has played for Chicago every year since being drafted, except for the 2016 season when an injury sent him to injured reserve.

Here are Fuller’s career stats:

Games Played: 48, Total Tackles: 188. Forced Fumbles: three. Interceptions: eight. Passes Defensed: 41. Stuffs: five.

Role in the Bay

If Fuller does sign with the 49ers, he may immediately become a starter alongside Witherspoon. Both are under 25 years old and would be two solid corners to build upon.

Unless the 49ers don’t sign anyone else who has the skills to be an immediate starter, Fuller and Witherspoon would no doubt be an interesting pairing at corner.

Next: 49ers 2017 Season Report Card

Do you think the 49ers should bring in Fuller to play cornerback?