Following a secondary overhaul and a high-stakes draft trade, veteran Kristian Fulton faces a roster battle with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs roster looks much different from it did in Week 18 of the 2025 NFL regular season.
There were plenty of changes on both sides of the ball, and the defense took several hits with big names such as Leo Chenal, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson leaving this offseason either in free agency or via trade.
The secondary was a massive concern going into the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Chiefs knew that and traded up to No. 6 to select LSU Tigers star and CB1, Mansoor Delane, in a big swing.
The Chiefs did plenty of work during the draft to address some key needs on the defensive side of the ball, but changes could still come this summer.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report named the best player on every team who could be cut, and for the Chiefs, he named cornerback Kristian Fulton.
Fulton was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent four years there before spending the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Chargers and then coming to Kansas City last season.
However, Fulton played just eight games with two starts due to injuries, and now he will face a tough road.
Nohl Williams is expected to be a big contributor in the KC secondary, and Delane looks to be a starter given that Kansas City moved up to select him.
"Fulton will likely battle 2025 third-rounder Nohl Williams for a spot on the boundary opposite rookie first-rounder Mansoor Delane. If the former loses, he could be cut before his age-28 campaign," Moton wrote.
The Chiefs also signed cornerback Kader Kohou, so there is some competition in the secondary for a lot of players.
Fulton was responsible for a highlight-reel play this season against the Denver Broncos.
But, the inconsistencies and the fact he played just eight games isn't what Kansas City was hoping for when they signed him to a two-year deal worth $20 million prior to last season.
Now, a healthy Fulton would be huge for the Chiefs, especially with a lot of questions in the cornerback room after a lot of changes, but everything will depend on how things go at camp and during the preseason.
The Chiefs will have some tough decisions to make at some point, as will every team, and cutting Fulton with just one year left might make sense if he doesn't show his potential.
