NFL Draft grades: 10 first-round picks that get an A
By Joe Romano
Minkah Fitzpatrick – Miami Dolphins (Pick #11)
If the NFL is ever going to mimic the NBA, positional versatility will be the most valuable skill. No prospect was more evident of that than Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick . Concerns over where he plays likely kicked him out of the top ten. In my rankings, and most others that do such things, he was easily a top ten player. Miami is the perfect home for Fitzpatrick with the talent around him and his ability to excel at multiple positions.
Big surprise that an Alabama player is considered one of the draft’s most consistent players. Fitzpatrick may lack the exact position but a craft defensive coordinator can look at him as a chess piece to make offenses miserable. His experience is mostly in the slot. However, Miami will likely kick him all over the field. We could see this uber athlete play over the top safety, man coverage against big slot receivers and tight end, or a sub-package linebacker in passing situations.
With incumbents T.J. McDonald and Reshad Jones manning the back end, Fitzpatrick will start off a nickle back by name only. He will see the field as much as possible. He is an elite athlete at 6-feet and a hair over 200 pounds. Despite that size he’s shown the ability to be a legit pass rush option off the edge. Outside of his all-world talent, Fitzpatrick fits the bill for the Dolphins new-look locker room. Coach Adam Gase wants high character players who breathe football and that is exactly what this man does.