010312_SPT_Sugar_Bowl_MRM

Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, right, picks off a Denard Robinson pass during a loss against Michigan in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3, 2012.

(AnnArbor.com)

It's possible the Detroit Lions will have their choice of any defensive back they want when they're on the clock at No. 10 in next week's NFL draft.

But there is some disagreement over who should go first at the position.

Some lean toward Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert, a physical freak who ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the combine. Others side with Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard, a more consistent player who won the Jim Thorpe Award as the best DB in college football.

But there's a third corner has joined the mix after riding up a lot of draft boards: Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller.

"Kyle Fuller is one of my favorite players in the whole draft," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said Thursday during a teleconference with reporters.

"He is my No. 1 corner -- first-round corner. He has it in his DNA."

Mayock conducted two informal mock drafts Wednesday night, and had Detroit picking Dennard in one. But he says Fuller, who he had going to Philadelphia at No. 22, might be even better.

And he says the Lions should select either player over Gilbert and Roby, who are more athletically gifted, but also are bigger wildcards because of their inconsistencies.

"I personally prefer Fuller to Dennard," Mayock said. "They're not as naturally gifted as Gilbert from Oklahoma State and Roby from Ohio State. So it really depends what you're looking for. If you're looking for more upside, for instance, the kid Gilbert could go to Detroit. He's got return ability in the kick game, he's explosive, he's got beautiful hips, he can turn and run, he's got more upside than any corner in the draft. However, he's highly inconsistent, and I would say the thing about Roby. He's had some off-field issues, but his hips, his turning ability, his upside is incredible.

"I just happen to prefer football players that I trust more. And I trust Dennard, and I trust Fuller, either one of which I think would be a great pick at 10."

Fuller, who is the brother of Lions practice-squad receiver Corey Fuller, was one of the country's hottest cornerback prospects heading into the 2013 season. He finished the season with 24 tackles, 10 pass breakups, two interceptions, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one blocked punt.

But he also missed four games due to a sports hernia that required surgery in November. And that cooled his stock, with many projecting him as a fringe first- or second-round pick.

Fuller, though, checked out medically at the combine, then ran a faster-than-expected 4.49-second 40-yard dash. That allayed concerns about his athleticism, and has turned analysts such as Mayock into believers.

And he's not the only one.

"I think his cover skills are above average to good," said ESPN's Todd McShay, who has Fuller going 15th to the Steelers in his most recent mock draft. "I think that his instincts and recognition skills are very good. He's calm. He doesn't get rattled, when you study him on tape. He knows when to take a chance and when to gamble and when not to. And his ball skills are outstanding. Excellent ball awareness, tracks the ball well, 38.5-inch vertical jump, plucks the ball away from his frame, confident hands, is confident going when he attacks the football."

McShay also raves about how Fuller tackles.

"That's one thing that I'm starting to value more and more," McShay said. "It's not just run support, but after the catch. Teams are throwing more screens, more underneath stuff, quick hitters, than ever before in the NFL. And with these spread offenses and a lot of the shorter throws, you've got to be able to tackle as a cornerback. And there are some guys in this draft that don't. And it scares me.

"Kyle Fuller is one of the guys who really excels in that area."