Bishop Fitzgerald is a prime example of a ball hawking safety teams covet in their secondary. He produced as wan All-American should, always around the ball, making big plays. He has some weaknesses, though. Doesn’t have high end speed and is prone to giving up big plays.
Bishop Fitzgerald 2026 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Safety
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 201 pounds
School: USC
2026 NFL Draft Bishop Fitzgerald Scouting Report
Strengths
- College numbers are off the charts: 148 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 14 pass breakups at North Carolina State and USC.
- Consensus All-American in his final season
- His Combine numbers are above average: 4.55 40-yard dash, 1.58 10-yard split, 12 bench press reps, and 33-inch vertical jump.
- Fitzgerald is seen by most scouts as the best pure centerfielder-type safety in the draft.
- He has larger hands than most defensive backs, 9.5 inches.
- Despite Fitzgerald’s average measurables, his game film and Combine drills show smoothness.
- Bishop is a safety who impresses with instincts and knowing how to get to and play the ball.
- He excels in zone coverage and has a knack for making plays.
- Skilled at jumping routes, he gets his hands on a number of balls, much more than a typical safety.
- Beyond the top tier of safeties in his draft class, he is the best when it comes to turnover production.
- He will immediately contribute on special teams, where his instincts and playmaking abilities will take over.
Weaknesses
- Most of his physical attributes aren’t imposing: 5’11”, 201 pounds, arm length 31.25.”
- Lacks top-end speed and is not as explosive as teams would prefer
- Although his high-stakes mentality means interceptions and pass breakups stack up over a season, he is vulnerable to giving up big plays.
- The film shows that he is a star safety, but in-person analysis, drills, and his overall performance at the NFL Combine caused him to slide multiple rounds in draft projections.
- Too easily falls for double moves and fakes.
- Scheme-dependent safety thus far in his career. Although he will thrive in zone defenses, he has glaring weaknesses when playing in man-to-man coverage.
NFL Comparison: Damontae Kazee, Andrew Makuba
Teams With Need At Position: Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers
Projection: Rounds 4-6
Bottom Line on Bishop Fitzgerald
Even though Fitzgerald doesn’t have elite speed, his football IQ and anticipation are right there with the best in his class. Even though his testing numbers and observations scouts make from drills are average at best, his results on the field speak for themselves. He is a ball hawk, a turnover machine. He even sometimes know where the quarterback is going with the ball before it is ever released. Fitzgerald is going to make a team very happy, while at the same time they have work to do on his gambling personality, otherwise he will give up big plays.
Four teams stand out as fits and likely draft possibilities for Fitzgerald: the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
