Miami Dolphins: How does Minkah Fitzpatrick fit on defense?
The first round of the 2018 NFL Draft is now behind us. The Miami Dolphins made their pick with Minkah Fitzpatrick, but does he fit the defense?
The Miami Dolphins stayed put at No. 11 in the 2018 NFL Draft and opted to select Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fans should be excited because they got themselves a stud. Fitzpatrick is a versatile and outstanding defender who is capable of playing safety, corner or nickel corner. It’s believed he’ll likely be safety in Miami. Many predicted he would be picked in the top five-to-seven range, but he fell directly into the Dolphins’ laps.
While I admittedly had my heart set on Florida State safety Derwin James once he fell past pick 10, it is difficult to be disappointed in Fitzpatrick. This was a great pick and, James aside, the pick the Phins needed to make.
He was viewed as the best player available and that’s who they took, which is exactly what should be done. I ranked him as the sixth best player in this draft so the value is absolutely there. Also, all the quarterbacks were gone when the Dolphins picked and they didn’t trade up, so we’re not going to get into that hypothetical with a trade that doesn’t exist.
The visible ability and intangibles are all there for Fitzpatrick. He’s regarded as a leader and he enters the NFL already with rings on his finger. As a junior in 2017, he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as college football’s best defender and the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in the nation.
Only two other players in NCAA history can boast the same accomplishment and they are Patrick Peterson and Charles Woodson, so he’s in good company. There isn’t a whole lot the New Jersey native didn’t accomplish during his days in the SEC.
Next: NFL Mock Draft: Projecting Round 2 after the first round
Some may wonder how he fits in with Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald already in the defensive backfield. Don’t worry about that. He will be slotted in and be dominant player for years to come and, because of his versatility, they have options. The idea of moving McDonald to outside linebacker has been floated around, as has slotting Fitzpatrick in as a hybrid safety/nickelback. The important thing is the Dolphins added an elite talent to their roster.