Overview
Position: Safety
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 201 pounds
School: Alabama Crimson Tide
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.46 seconds
Bench press: 14 reps
Vertical jump: 33 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 1 inch
Minkah Fitzpatrick 2018 NFL Draft Profile
Much like the NFL Draft itself, college recruiting is full of its fair share of boom and bust stories. Every once in a while, a two-star recruit blossoms into a legitimate first-round prospect. J.J. Watt is a fairly prominent example. Consequently, not every player who gets a four or five-star grade from Rivals or 247Sports will get a future Pro Bowler grade from Lance Zierlein, Mel Kiper or Todd McShay come draft day. But when it comes to the latter type of player, Minkah Fitzpatrick certainly turned out to be the real deal.
During his final two seasons of high school, Fitzpatrick totaled 122 tackles and seven interceptions. It led to him earning Parade All-American honors in 2015 and a top 10 national ranking among corner prospects by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports. The Jersey City, NJ native didn’t take particularly long to make up his mind about where he wanted to play collegiately. Fitzpatrick committed to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in April of 2014, 10 months before signing day.
Given the depth Alabama boasts at numerous positions, it’s generally hard to get consistent starter level reps as an underclassman. Not for Fitzpatrick. He jumped right into the lineup as a true freshman, playing in 14 of 15 games and making 10 starts for the eventual national champions. His 11 pass breakups led all SEC freshmen while he also notched two interceptions as well as a blocked punt he returned for a touchdown. For his efforts, he earned freshman All-American and All-Conference accolades.
His first season in Tuscaloosa was no flash in the pan by any means. He became a legitimate nuisance in the secondary as a sophomore with only six players in the nation finishing with more than his six interceptions. Two of them resulted in pick sixes. He only managed one the following year but a great deal of damage in opposing backfields. His eight tackles for loss was second in the SEC among defensive backs. Not only did he win a second national title in 2017. He joined Charles Woodson and Patrick Peterson as the only players in college football history to win the Bednarik and Thorpe Award in the same season.
Strengths
- well-proportioned frame with good wingspan;
- an immensely versatile player who can be deployed in a variety of roles including box safety, slot corner or dime linebacker;
- impeccable footwork and stop/go speed in coverage;
- maintains mirror and match during route transition points;
- covers ground like a MIKE linebacker;
- relentless at the point of attack with plus reactive athleticism when the ball comes his way;
- speedy off the edge with value in blitz packages;
- exhibited big-play ability on both defense and special teams while at Bama;
- a student of the game who’ll put the requisite time in the film room.
Weaknesses
- tends to be a bit upright in backpedal;
- a bit slow to react in zone which leaves bigger windows for quarterbacks to exploit;
- gives receivers too much of a cushion when mirroring in off-man;
- overall wrap-up ability as a tackler could improve;
- leaves a lot of potential tackles/negative plays out there due to over-pursuit;
- teams could look at him as a “tweener” in terms of his ideal positional fit.
NFL Comparison: Patrick Peterson
Teams With Need at Position: Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Top half of the first round
Bottom Line
Fitzpatrick operated primarily out of what Alabama has termed the “star” position, basically a nickel corner role. But NFL teams could benefit from his versatility in a variety of ways. He certainly has value as a box safety who can keep bigger receivers and tight ends at bay on seam routes down the middle of the field. He can also slot in as a sub-package backer, using his acceleration and reactive athleticism to blitz the quarterback or snuff out screens. Wherever he goes, Fitzpatrick is a surefire week one starter with instant impact potential.
